ARCHITECTURAL JOURNALISM

Architectural spaces silently communicate to people. Spaces can be liked as being beautiful not only by the visual impact they leave on the observer, but also the challenging imaginations rendered through words can actually contribute to the enjoyment of space by the people. To enjoy a piece of architecture, one must feel the spaces, and the best way to do this is through a pictorial sequence accompanied with words. It makes the reader's imagination walk through the entire space.

Architectural journalism is a branch of mass communication. Mass communication, from the name itself infers a mode of communication with the masses, through the print or electronic media. Thus a common man with no technical knowledge better experiences a built form through pictorial and linguistic documentation rather than peeping into the architectural drawings.

A linguistic expression of the architectural vocabulary for a built form always proves to be a better mode of presentation than the crude, conventional blueprints, for at least the non professionals.


An architectural journalist while documenting a built form must explain the entire building giving the minutest of details as desired, in the actual architectural vocabulary. The data given should be authentic and give a clear picture of the architectural work. These facts can always be supplemented with pictures and drawings. The extent of architectural journalism does not end at documenting built forms. It has a much wider scope ... All latest movies released, are awaited for their reviews, every breaking news becomes the talk of the city or country within no time, through nothing but... journalism. Then ... why ignore architecture? It is architectural journalism which brings to the masses the realities of architecture in a very simplified and interesting manner. Like any other event, seminar, exhibition, etc is recorded and then reported by the journalists, the events related to architecture are recorded by reporters specializing in the field of architectural journalism.

An architectural journal not only include architectural projects, reports on architectural seminars or events but also make the masses aware of the history, the evolution and also gives the latest update in architectural styles, materials, and techniques. Architectural journalism also has the scope of bringing in, the voice of the common people ... what they feel about various architectural spaces or perhaps even cities ... ?? It also provides a platform for the critical analysis. It incorporates the problems faced by the users of the architectural spaces and aims at providing necessary solution or remedies.

Thus architectural journalism is a door towards making the field of architecture more easily accessible and understood by the masses, and not just by a specified class of people.