Building Images: A Video on How Social Media is Changing Architecture

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Before social media took over, buildings were published on magazines, edited and refined according to their architects’ preferences. Nowadays, magazines are left on the sidelines for a much more influential platform, one that is not totally controlled by the architects. Digital communication has changed the way people view and interact with architecture, providing architects with new insights on how to design their structures.

PLANE—SITE, a global production agency involved in the world of urban, cultural, and social spaces, have put together a short video that examines the impact of social media on architecture firms. Building Images provides insights from OMA/AMO and UNStudio, two firms with different approaches to social media, who explain how social platforms have helped them see their projects in unprecedented ways.

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Social media posts have challenged, inspired, and guided contemporary architecture practices. Other than having their buildings stand as illustrious backdrops for photographs, the use of geotagging and hashtags have helped architects develop a more thorough site and post-occupancy analysis. UNStudio, for instance, is now looking at occupants’ Instagram posts to analyze how they are appropriating the space, which are oftentimes different to what they had initially expected. According to the architects at OMA/AMO, the more the building is able to engage its visitors, in a program beyond what it was meant for, the more successful the building is.

The video was created for the World Architectural Festival 2018, where PLANE—SITE led a panel on the themes of social media and contemporary architecture.