When the Architect’s Newspaper was founded in 2003, the internet was not much more than a glimmer in Al Gore’s eye. “WebLogs” had just started to pick up speed, and the social network Myspace had just hit the market, ready to take over from Friendster.
Which is why it is so amazing that we managed to have the same website for the last 13 years, without a relaunch.
The Architect’s Newspaper was started “in part, out of frustration that so many important architecture and design stories never find a place in the news dailies, the city weeklies, or design monthlies…We will bring you news, big and small, with a catholic sensibility about what architects and designers might consider newsworthy.” The first print issue had a story announcing the curator of the 2004 Venice Biennale, a preview of the new Morphosis design for the Cooper Union, and an article about the then-nascent “U.S.-Dutch-Austrian blob axis.”
While much has changed since these early days—there is no need for two pages of event listings—the independent ethos of the paper has lived on, very much to the too-often-unsung credit of publisher Diana Darling and editor-in-chief William Menking.
Both in print and online, AN has been a critical voice both in the city of New York and across the country, with four regional editions: East, West, Midwest, and Southwest. These regional papers and contacts in places like Oklahoma City allow us to cover territory often left uncovered. The in-depth coverage and analysis includes zoning measures, preservations fights, transit issues, and other political issues alongside more traditional design coverage. We also are always expanding our coverage of international issues and our engagement with the discourse that affects us all. Our new web editor Zach Edelson will continue this, while putting his own twist on what is happening today.
This relaunch aims to carry on our tradition as the most authoritative architecture and design coverage in the United States in a new, contemporary format that can do the content justice.
On the old website, the “news” page and a “blog” falsely divided print and web-only content into confusing silos. This will no longer be the case. Fresh, up-to-the minute coverage of architecture, cities, products, and technology will finally be showcased alongside long-form editorial content from leading authors both established and up-and-coming. We hope that the new website will more accurately convey the quality and breadth of the writing. We will also be able to feature more and larger images in a more interactive display, giving readers more visual insight into the projects we feature. The new site will also work better on mobile devices.
Now is a time of tremendous growth for The Architect’s Newspaper. We have launched a series of “Late Edition” email newsletters that feature local architecture stories from each of our four regions. You can sign up for one or all of them here. We have also started AN Interior, which is a burgeoning design and culture magazine with a focus on the latest innovations in architectural interiors and products. Look for more online coverage in this area moving forward.
Please bear with us as we work out the kinks, and let us know what you think of the new site. We would love to hear your feedback about how it functions and what is working and not working!
Here are a few of our most recent stories that will give you a chance to test out the new site!
MoMA to Close galleries dedicated to architecture and design
Why is SHoP designing SITE Santa Fe?
How Graves, Koolhaas, and Piano would have altered Marcel Breuer’s iconic Madison Avenue museum
Marina City gets landmark status
