Architectural Association School of Architecture

From photo-copied and print-on-demand newsletters such as Another Pamphlet, Scapegoat and Preston is My Paris, to beautiful magazines such as Mark, Spam and PIN-UP – ARCHIZINES celebrates and promotes the recent resurgence of alternative and independent architectural publishing from around the world.

The exhibition, curated by Elias Redstone, originated as an online project and showcases 60 architecture magazines, fanzines and journals from over 20 countries. From Australia and Argentina to the UK and USA, these independent publications are reframing how people relate to their built environment – taking comment and criticism out of just an architectural arena and into everyday life. The titles also provide platforms for architectural research and debate, and demonstrate the residual love of the printed word and paper page – providing an antidote to digital publishing. Made by architects, artists and students, they add an important, and often radical, addition to architectural discourse. Each magazine is available to read in the exhibition along with video interviews with their creators talking about their work. 

An accompanying catalogue, published by Bedford Press, further explores the relationship between architecture and publishing with contributions from Pedro Gadanho (Beyond), Iker Gil (MAS Context), Adam Murray (Preston is my Paris), Rob Wilson (Block), Mimi Zeiger (Maximum Maxim MMX/loudpaper) and more. Themes addressed in a series of new essays include the role of publishing in academia and architectural practice, and the representation of architecture in fictional writing, photography, magazines and fanzine culture.

To coincide with the exhibition the full ARCHIZINES collection is being transferred to the National Art Library at the V&A. By providing a permanent home for the publications collected as part of this research project, this period of publishing activity will be available as a public resource for generations to come.

Elias Redstone is a curator and writer. He curated Poland’s pavilion at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2010 and was Senior Curator at The Architecture Foundation. He is the Editor in Chief of the London Architecture Diary and an online columnist for the New York Times’ T Magazine.

Photo: Sue Barr