As technology is growing at a faster rate and breaking down barriers in every area of evolution and development, both to establish a professionalised environment and for people who want to connect with others, social media has an equal impact on architecture as other forms of communication. One such critical component directly under the influence of social media is architecture journalism, which affects the significance of the news frame, the Internet. It is a subset of news and is defined as independent writing and critique in architecture, design, and urbanism, helping people understand design concepts so they may simply develop their own design ideas while preserving an aesthetic sensibility. It has become a strategy and, to some extent, a requirement to post works online for people to see, review, like, or share.
The current exponential growth of social media has raised numerous queries, including how it impacts architecture in the twenty-first century. How does it affect the developed buildings and, most significantly, the structures about to be built? How does it affect one’s life and career as an architect, designer, and engineer? The architect-client connection has evolved significantly throughout the years; while designing a private home or building, the attention is more on the direct connection with the client. Public projects focus more on the link between the space and the public.
Defining the process | Social Media’s Influence
However, often things don’t go as planned due to a lack of communication, and the building is created according to some elaborate concept. The public ends up disliking the space, and the architects despise the people for not appreciating the design and concept behind it. The public’s inability to grasp the concept behind the design and the necessity of the space can be solved with the help of media development. When it comes to design, there is always a tendency for competition; as social media expands and improves, the entire process improves and becomes less complicated.
When discussing famous architects and their works, it is evident that they are known for their architectural skills and projects. Still, a large part also stems from effective social media marketing skills. The buildings are amazing, well thought out, and well put together, and all of this information is available to us using social media. The transition not only served to enhance the collaboration but also to spread ideas and design philosophy around the world. The media assists in reporting all relevant facts about the project so that everyone can grasp the concept behind it and its function and then draw any conclusions based on it.
Impact on Journalism
Architectural Journalism differs from Design Writing because it can be commercial, whereas Design Writing is autonomous and community-oriented. Individuals who have used social media to communicate their reactions to a major event contributed to creating some of the most recognisable images in journalism at the turn of the century. It assists in presenting the design for social media to be quicker, involves more voices in the discussion, creates a link, and inspire people to communicate with one another.
The objective is to convey the true character of space and provide information useful for design rather than merely for social media aesthetics. These are readily available to us, but only some have the perspective or understanding to appreciate them fully. One can have the maturity to start architectural intervention analysis, documentation, inquiry, study, and research if one recognises the issue’s sensitivity and guide themselves to the later portion.
In comparison, it is much simpler to represent any kind of project, but readers and listeners still prefer to gain a thorough grasp of each project. When researching a project, one should always strive to gather the facts, explore more, and understand how challenging it is in design, how generously it can be presented, and how openly the narrative can be explained. It has also been observed that social media platforms can overlook a space’s primary requirements in favour of emphasising aesthetics or posting new content.
Editorial and ethical concerns | Social Media’s Influence
As social media enters the media landscape and is considered a marketing tool, it poses several editorial and ethical concerns about regular work practices and routines and the foundational principles of journalism. There are indicators that the real-time flow of information from the public is changing news practices; it is more about reaching a wider audience in a briefer period. While each project comprises a wide range of distinct views and viewpoints, how architectural journalists convey their point of view on that project is a form of best explanation.
With the interpretation of designs, architecture, and philosophy, architectural journalism can constantly attempt to separate social media’s positive and negative aspects. All architectural journalism is design writing, but not all design writing and communications are architectural journalism. The industry is the community’s method of holding itself accountable. Therefore, social media is considered in addition to understanding how architecture fits into the fundamentals. Thus, having that mixture also fosters an understanding of the technical side of Architecture Journalism, the amount of thought and work that goes into each, which ideally adds value to the profession.
References
Archiporn – is social media killing architecture? | feat. Tianjin Binhai Library by MVRDV (2020) YouTube. YouTube. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGfI0_bcbaQ (Accessed: May 8, 2023).
Sevak, N. (2023) Role of social media in architecture and Design, RTF | Rethinking The Future. Available at: https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/2022/12/26/a8878-role-of-social-media-in-architecture-and-design/ (Accessed: May 8, 2023).
Social journalism: Exploring how social media is … – Alfred Hermida (no date). Available at: https://www.alfredhermida.me/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/c17_hermida_social_media_unproofed-1.pdf (Accessed: May 8, 2023).
Uttarkar, S.J. and Chinurkar, K. (2022) Architectural writing: Everything about effective architectural journalism, The Design Gesture. Available at: https://thedesigngesture.com/architectural-writing/ (Accessed: May 8, 2023).
