The Top 12 design and architecture magazines
Our picks for the world’s 12 best print publications specializing in design and architecture.
Ah, the Top 12… 18, 40, 100. We love them all, but it isn’t always easy to pick the best of the best. Making a list of the 12 best design and architecture magazines is a real challenge, because there’s a lot more to it than circulation numbers: a large readership isn’t always a quality readership, and on the flipside an excellent magazine might have a small but influential readership. Judging the quality of a magazine can be a highly subjective exercise. And there are so many good ones around the world! No doubt we could swap some names for others, but we’re confident that these 12 magazines are some of the world’s very best!
Note that this is just our humble opinion, and we define “best” as a felicitous mix of international reputation, quality readership and editorial excellence. We’re listing them from biggest to smallest readership.
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Architectural Digest
Luxury interior and residential design
United States
Monthly
Circulation: 814,959
www.architecturaldigest.com
Launched in 1920, Architectural Digest is an American magazine published by Condé Nast. It covers modern and classic luxury residential interiors. AD also takes a keen interest in celebrity residences, the art of living and travel. It has long been one of the most-read décor magazines in the world, and its reputation knows no borders thanks to international editions for China, France, Germany, India, Russia, Spain, Mexico and the Middle East. Although the magazine’s editorial approach still favours traditional styles, modern and minimalist interiors are also gaining more space on the magazine’s website and in some of its international editions. For the last few years the editorial team has been working to expand the readership and reach a younger audience with two new projects: AD PRO and Clever.
Dwell
Residential architecture
United States
Monthly
Circulation: 250,000
www.dwell.com
For two decades, Dwell has been putting out a high-quality magazine celebrating contemporary residential architecture and its human side. A booster of mid-century modern, minimalist and Scandinavian styles, Dwell publishes international projects: new construction, renovations and prefab homes, with comfort and function as unifying themes. The editorial team has a clear appreciation for sustainability, innovation and off-grid living, and their work is appreciated by professionals and enlightened amateurs alike. Thanks to its loyal and engaged readership, the magazine quickly rose up the ranks to become one of the world’s finest architecture publications.
Wallpaper*
Architecture, design and art
United Kingdom
Monthly
Circulation: 100,288
www.wallpaper.com
Wallpaper* was launched in the UK in 1996 by Canadian journalist Tyler Brûlé (also known for Monocle) and sold to Time Warner in 1997. The magazine’s philosophy has always been based on celebrating every form of creativity in fashion, art, design, architecture and the art of living. Innovation and creativity without compromises are the internationally acclaimed magazine’s watchwords. The content is often exclusive, and it’s also quite varied. It reaches both professionals and amateurs with a passion for art and design. Wallpaper* also issues small travel guides focused on design in the world’s great cities – the Wallpaper* City Guides, published by Phaidon.
Architectural Record
Architecture and design
United States
Monthly
Circulation: 93,000
www.architecturalrecord.com
Among the oldest and most influential architecture publications, Architectural Record has been publishing since 1891. The magazine profiles the world’s best firms and the latest major residential, commercial, institutional and cultural projects. It publishes in-depth reports about every aspect of architecture – artistic, commercial, technical. It also covers architectural products and new construction technologies, giving professionals in design, architecture, lighting and engineering an up-to-date, worldwide overview of the latest trends and the state of the profession.
Abitare
Architecture and design
Italy
Monthly
Circulation: 65,000
www.abitare.it
Founded in Milan in 1961 by Piera Peroni, Abitare is a highly respected publication specializing in contemporary design and architecture, with a focus on lifestyles and the way we use our spaces. Each month, Abitare shares the best projects and latest trends. It tracks our evolving ways of life and how people use and take ownership of spaces, for every type of project: residential, commercial, institutional, interior, exterior, as well as products and graphic design. The magazine had a major makeover in 2014 after a brief hiatus.
Interior Design
Interior design
United States
Monthly
Circulation: 62,069
www.interiordesign.net
Founded in 1932, Interior Design is another publication aimed at professionals that also attracts a growing amateur readership with its accessible, high-quality content. True to its name, Interior Design is dedicated to all kinds of interiors: residential, commercial, institutional, cultural, etc. Tangentially, it also touches on architecture, art and industrial design. Each issue has a wide range of articles, topics and themes, showcasing projects in a wide range of styles. There’s always something for every taste.
Metropolis
Architecture and design
United States
Monthly
Circulation: 53,000
www.metropolismag.com
Metropolis is the magazine that covers work at every scale, from the smallest object to the biggest urban design project, including – and especially – the most important and iconic architectural projects shaping our cities. This American publication was launched in 1981 and was recently acquired by Sandow Media (Interior Design). There are ten issues a year, along with numerous supplements and special issues on more focused topics, such as the 72-page issue on the 150th anniversary of the birth of Frank Lloyd Wright. Its trademark is exclusive interviews with industry experts, and its profiles often go decidedly off the beaten path.
Domus
Architecture and design
Italy
Monthly
Circulation: 48,875
www.domusweb.it
Founded in 1928 and led by illustrious architect Gio Ponti until 1979, Domus is one of the most influential voices in contemporary design and architecture. As well as detailed coverage of projects and in-depth profiles of influential architects and designers, Domus features theoretical pieces, criticism and intellectual debates – content that architecture and design professionals respect. With its 100th anniversary coming in 2028, Domus launched the 10x10x10 project: each year from 2018 to 2028, a different influential architect will serve as guest editor for the year’s 10 issues. Michele De Lucchi, Winy Maas and David Chipperfield were the guest editors in 2018, 2019 and 2020.
Frame
Commercial interior design
Netherlands
Monthly
Circulation: 35,000
www.frameweb.com
Published in the Netherlands, founded in 1997 by Robert Thiemann and distributed in 77 countries, Frame has earned a place among the world’s great design magazines. A niche publication with a colourful and exciting visual style, Frame has become a global reference in contemporary commercial and institutional interior design: restaurants, bars, boutiques, hotels, schools, libraries, offices, etc. The magazine recently added residential projects to its coverage. Frame Publishers also issues specialized monographs and books about commercial interior design.
DETAIL
Architecture
Germany
Monthly
Circulation: 26,453
www.detail-online.com
DETAIL, which is published in both German and English, was launched in Germany in 1961. As its name suggests, it focuses on the design and construction details of architectural projects. Each issue has a tightly focused theme, highlighting important international projects with high-quality photos and detailed plans and technical drawings. Each year the magazine publishes a special GREEN issue focusing on sustainability, plus two issues of DETAIL Inside for interior design projects. It’s one of the best professional publications, doing justice to the finer points of construction and exploring projects in more depth than most.
ICON
Architecture and design
United Kingdom
Monthly
Circulation: 25,492
www.iconeye.com
ICON is an architecture and design magazine with a focus on current trends and cultural movements that influence architecture and our world. ICON has a holistic vision of architecture, objects and the art of living, reflected in its interviews, project articles, analysis of cultural and technological movements, and reviews of exhibitions, books, products and films. Launched in the UK in 2003, ICON takes a fresh look at what’s going on in architecture and design around the world, and what it means for the future.
The Architectural Review
Architecture
United Kingdom
Monthly
Circulation: 13,352
www.architectural-review.com
The Architectural Review is an international reference since 1896, published by EMAP. It covers the built environment in all its forms, including landscape, building design, interior decoration and urbanism. Despite its modest circulation of fewer than 14,000 copies (as opposed to competitors issuing 50 to 100,000 copies), the monthly is distributed in more than 100 countries. The Architectural Review is an important voice and a particular favourite of industry professionals thanks to the unusual and in some cases provocative projects it covers, as well as for its articles on architectural theory.
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And there are many, many more! We could have mentioned the large-circulation AD peers like Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Homes & Gardens, and all the other major home decor magazines with a large readership and wide circulation.
There are also some excellent independent architectural magazines that we didn’t list, many of them less commercial and relatively low-circulation. They include L'Architecture d'Aujourd'hui, D'A, The Plan and The Architect's Journal, to name a few.
We could also mention some general-interest magazines that sometimes cover architecture, like Monocle, Fast Company, T magazine, Wired, etc.
And what about the big online-only publications like Dezeen, Archdaily, Designboom, and so on? Do they offer as much value as print publications? Absolutely! And we’ll be back another time with a top-12 list of the best design and architecture webzines.
By Pénélope Fortin
A design graduate with a passion for communications, Pénélope Fortin has been in charge of media relations for designers and architects at v2com for more than seven years. A creative, detail-oriented professional, she is in contact with media around the world and loves developing innovative media strategies for her clients.
