Thursday, September 16, 2010

Happy 10th Birthday Dwell Magazine




This may be shameless plugging - but I like Dwell.


Architectural writing is often difficult to read, as most architects are under the absurd delusion that they are great writers. This theory has been proven false countless times.**



By my count, there have only ever been two great architects who also wrote well. I'll let you guess which ones. (Hint: John Ruskin is not one of them, I'm sorry he's just not.)



With Dwell, you get the most bang for your buck

-The writing style is accessible to both the architectural professional and the layman. Also, unlike other architectural magazines, it doesn't take itself too seriously.



The only real criticism I can give Dwell is that is does have a clear sense of self-satisfaction in the crispy cadence of its articles. Dwell is designed for a very specific clientele: someone who is interested in the appearance of looking like they know good, modern design. Dwell could also be called IkeaFancier.


That being said, if you're looking for a solid architecture periodical without too many made up or obscure words - go with Dwell

For an example, see this article regarding licensing:


http://www.dwell.com/articles/to-be-or-not-to-be-licensed.html


** Architects also think they are good at the following:

- Music
- Sports
- Film
- Drama
- Fashion
- Politics
- Economics
- Business
- Romance
- Everything

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