10 ESSENTIAL ARCHITECTURE MAGAZINES

Whether you are an architect, a designer or simply passionate about this field, architecture magazines are a great source of inspiration and knowledge. In addition to finding out the innovations in the architecture and design sector, the most relevant projects and the odd curiosity, these publications usually have a very refined aesthetic content. Therefore, whether you like to have the printed editorial projects, or if you prefer to read them online, here is our selection of the 10 essential architecture magazines.

10 printed and digital architecture magazines

 If you like the smell of printed pages, large volumes and collecting architectural magazines, or if you are more likely to digital magazines and read them anywhere in the world from any device, these are our main recommendations.

El croquis 

El Croquis is one of the most important publications at international level, with a bimonthly publication of their monographs, where the projects of the most outstanding international architects are documented. They also publish an annual issue, where the most important architectural projects and works of Spain are collected. Its content is focused on selected projects, with great graphic documentation, detailing the processes and constructive particularities of each of the works reviewed.

There are currently more than 200 numbers and published both the monographs and the annual magazine, can be found in some newsstands and in specialized bookstores. Its price usually varies, but it often exceeds 50 euros. However, this price is justified by the number of pages (usually over 200), so it can be considered a specialized book, more than a magazine.

The best of it? If you are an Architecture student you can benefit from a 25% discount on your subscription. In addition, with the printed edition you can access the online version. It is, without a doubt, a must.

TC Cuadernos 

The Spanish magazine TC Cuadernos publishes 6 monographs every year, where they thoroughly explain specific projects by architects from both the national and international scene. Therefore, it has a practical variant, which allows to learn about the details of each architectural proposal.

They usually exceed 300 pages, being one of the best magazines in this sector, where you can find ideas to put into practice in our own projects and learn about the way each architect works.

Its price is usually around 40 euros per magazine, so it can be considered practically a specialized book, as El Croquis. If you opt for an annual subscription, it can be purchased for 90 euros in Spain, while the European edition goes up to 175 euros.

Global Architecture

GA (Global Architecture) is an architecture magazine being published in Japan for 30 years, so we can only find it in two languages: Japanese and English. Like the previous ones, this magazine has a great international prestige in the architecture sector, and it is published bimonthly. We can find different publications depending on the subject, such as GA Document, GA Architect or GA Houses.

Regarding the content, it is a magazine that takes great care of the graphic level of its publications, both in its photographs and plans. In addition, as it has thematic divisions, it covers a large number of architectural themes. As for prices, it is possible to purchase any of its editions for just over 30 euros. The subscription can be acquired from Europe for a little less than 200 euros, although the price varies depending on the theme we choose.

Architectural Digest

The American monthly magazine focuses more on interior design than on architecture in general. Edited by Condé Nast in Spain, Architectural Digest is aimed at a less specialized audience. For this reason, its contents are much closer, informal and didactic, but without neglecting the details. Therefore, they have great visual and aesthetic quality in all their publications. Depending on the sector, we can find publications aimed at decoration, interiors, art or design, among others.

Their annual subscription is approximately 72 euros (80 dollars), although they have offers for students. Thanks to this, you can buy the subscription for about 10 euros (12 dollars).

Arquitectura Viva

This bimonthly magazine has more than 20 years of history, it can be found in both printed and digital versions and you can even subscribe to both. It is a very complete and updated magazine about architecture, design and construction. It has free updated contents on its website but, it is also possible to subscribe to its three types of publication: monographic (10 issues), magazine (10 issues) or projects (6 issues). It deals not only with topics related with the architectural side, but also seeks to focus the publications on other common areas, in order to deal with those topics with a more holistic approach pluralistic point of view.

It is possible to buy the copies separately, with an approximate price of 16 euros, or the different subscriptions: the monographs (100 euros digital, 200 euros printed), the magazine (65 euros digital, 130 euros printed) or the projects (25 euros digital, 50 euros printed).

A+t

Another of the leading architecture magazines in Spain is A+t (Architecture and Technology), a publication editedin Vitoria and distributed internationally, both in Spanish and English, on a quarterly basis. It is focused in collective housing, density, mixed uses and public space. An approach that will help you greatly if you are studying our Master in Collective Housing.

You can also subscribe to their newsletter to keep up with all the news and developments in the sector. A subscription to the printed magazine for Spain and Portugal costs 47 euros, and includes free access to the online version. In addition, you have a 20% discount for students.

Architectural Review

The monthly magazine Architectural Review focuses on social and sustainable architecture, society, urban planning, linking these concepts with global trends and innovations. All topics are addressed from a critical and inspiring perspective, with the collaboration of critically acclaimed writers. Written in English, it is possible to access the subscription of the printed and digital magazine.

In the first case, the annual subscription costs 170 pounds and also allows access to previous issues in digital version as well. The annual subscription for digital content is £117. In addition, there is a special subscription for students with a 30% discount.

Metropolis

The American magazine Metropolis publishes nine editions a year. With a strong international presence, the publications focus on architecture as well as design, landscaping, interior design and even graphic design. In addition to its printed publications (approximately 10 per year), the magazine publishes supplements such as Metropolis Living, focused on residential and mixed-use developments in North America. The Specify supplement focuses on workspaces and commercial spaces.

Its international subscription in printed and digital versions of 9 publications per year costs $109.99 (about 99 euros). Buying just the printed version costs $99.99 (about 90 euros) and just the digital version, $32.99 (about 30 euros).

Detail

The German magazine Detail focuses particularly on construction details, where the plans, photographs and diagrams are made with special care. This online architecture and construction magazine is available in English, Spanish and German, and it is an essential publication for discovering the innovations and the latest news of different contents: from industrial design concepts to building materials contents.

The annual subscription costs 197 euros for 10 publications, although students have the advantage of a reduction in the price: for them it is only 105 euros. They also offer the possibility of choosing a trial subscription for 34 euros.

Summa+

Finally, we find an Argentinian magazine, Summa+, which has 7 publications per year. As for its content, we can find architecture, design and urbanism projects that have more than 170 copies, not counting the 300 since the creation of Summa, which went bankrupt in 1992 and generated what we know today as Summa+.

The advantage of this magazine (currently digital) is that it can be found directly for free on its website or on the Issuu platform, so we can use it as a reference for projects and new ideas.  

The magazines, both in digital and printed format, are a great source of inspiration and knowledge. We hope that these 10 architecture magazines will become your allies for any project. Even so, do you have any reference magazine that you would include in this list? Share with us in the comments!

Master of Architecture in Collective Housing 2020

The Master of Advanced Studies in Collective Housing is a professional and international postgraduate programme that is developed on a full-time basis, dealing with advanced architectural design in the city and housing. It is designed and taught jointly by the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH).

The admission period for MCH2021 opens in February 2020, and it will remain so till 31.12.2020 or until vacancies are filled. The MCH2021 will have two groups, so first participants inscribed will have priority to choose their favourite workshop leaders through a point auction system.

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