Phoebus Panigyrakis, Architect-Researcher, PhD, at Architectural Periodicals Database
When does a building become architecture? When it is experienced, and appreciated as a cultural object that people can live in. But a building is an idea long before it becomes reality, and this idea has been documented in designs long before it is built, and lives on paper even after it has been altered or demolished. For most of the twentieth century, the architectural magazine was where building news were recorded, circulated, and debated, changing the way we understand architecture as an intellectual practice. These magazines are often treated as secondary sources, useful only for mining specific information on a case by case basis. We see them differently. Architectural print media is heritage in its own right, and a large part of it is in danger. This is why we have developed a dedicated platform for research on architectural periodicals: architecturalperiodicals.com.
Fig. 1 The landing page of the platform at architecturalperiodicals.com
What is the Architectural Periodicals Database?
Currently holding thirty three different magazine titles from sixteen different countries, the platform acts as an aggregator of digitized repositories, addressing an international audience of researchers, and students of architecture. Beyond collecting digitizations, the platform also produces new digitizations and builds bridges with initiatives that may contribute to the open access publishing of more historical magazines, thus creating a legitimate resource to study twentieth century architecture.
More than that, the platform addresses the challenge of unlocking the potential of magazines as knowledge sources through big-data processing, and the development of digital tools that can be uniformly applied. This is why we have developed a search engine that runs on a total of 2900 issues, in multiple language scripts, linking directly to the magazine pages without the hustle of browsing through the pages. Similarly, a Projects Directory, and an Archtitects Directory register references to buildings or designers linking them to material from various magazines. And thirdly, an interactive map geolocates more than 10.000 architectural projects that have been identified in the scanned magazine pages. This is one way to document heritage that would have remained unseen otherwise. The platform also underlines its international scope, by being supported with a custom-made PDF-reader that pairs the scanned image with transcripts that can be translated in real-time in any language by integrating Google Translate tools. But why go through so much hustle?
Fig. 2 The Interactive Map documenting published architectural projects, listing their metadata.
What is at risk?
Naturally the first risk for historical print media is physical. And indeed many such problems pertain to architectural magazines that may be damaged, brittle, or deteriorating due to long time use. Another problem is accounting what survives. Library holdings are incomplete and scattered across countries, so a complete run of even the most historic magazines may not exist in a single collection, and even then, its state might be questionable. Each missing issue carries a piece of the historical record that may not be reconstructed from other sources.
The second risk is attention and this is where our platform aims to make a contribution. The canonical avant-garde magazines like Bauhaus, or De Stijl have been studied and historicized, while the major media platforms like Casabella, Architectural Review, or Domus take care of their own digital archive. But the majority of lesser known magazines are left unnoticed, and even the ones that are available remain behind institutional or commercial barriers. Recognizing them as scientific resources and public heritage brings about the question of public access. We aim at allowing a wide community not only to find, but to explore the wealth of material hidden in architectural magazines. Attention is the first step towards a heightened care.
The third risk is digital, since digitized repositories may deteriorate faster than physical ones. Scans are spread across separate portals, in different standards and formats (PDF, JPEG etc.), and often lacking metadata descriptions, or searchable text. An issue that has been scanned but cannot be found, read as text or reliably cited is only half saved, and will be soon obsolete. Therefore the need for a centralized resource.
The way forward
Three things that we are aiming towards making a difference: First, to give room for periodicals studies to grow as an independent field in architectural research, recognising printed professional media of the design sector, as heritage to be preserved for their own sake, not only as a source about something else. Second, to digitise with use in mind: searchable text, user-friendly navigation, modern interface, and open access wherever rights allow. Third, to combine smaller and larger digitization initiatives towards a pathway of long-term preservation, through partnerships with libraries, archives and research networks.
The magazines that conditioned the way architects operate in a society dominated by mass-media have finally reached historical maturity. It is our task to make sure that they remain readable, and that people can still find them. Who knows, maybe they still hold answers to our contemporary questions.