Just like much of popular culture, for most of the twentieth century, architectural media relied on magazines sold at newsstands and supermarkets. Through them, readers discovered what was being built, tracked technological innovations, and, to some extent, popularized architectural discourse, taking it beyond the academic and elitist confines of universities and conferences. With the rise of the internet, the format of this information shifted, finding new ways to reach the public. Social media and specialized websites became crucial channels for sharing information and services, expanding public access to architectural issues. Today, every major social network hosts profiles dedicated exclusively to architecture, tailoring their content to each specific platform.
First and foremost, social media is widely used to promote and sell services. Whether through renderings, diagrams, and other striking drawings, or through photos and videos showcasing details of completed projects, many firms and independent architects use social networks as portfolios—often gathering more information than their own websites. At the same time, the largest architecture channels on YouTube focus on the construction phase. On its social channels, DOMA, for instance, shares images and videos of construction progress, a phase that was long kept hidden by traditional media and by many architects.
