Communicating Architecture is a long-term initiative by the publishing houses Park Books (Zurich) and JOVIS (Berlin). Together we would like to draw attention to topics in architecture and urbanism, present them for discussion and illuminate their significance for our society.

Today, books are more often chosen for the topics they cover than for the name of the publisher behind them. We used this circumstance as an opportunity to launch a completely new form of collaboration and book presentation at the 2016 Frankfurt Book Fair. Apart from the book fair, we also cooperate through various initiatives such as thematic book presentations, events, or newspaper editions.

Our built-up environment is changing constantly. The quality of these changes does not only concern specialists, but is also of public interest and is therefore relevant to us all. However, how can current discussions in architecture and urbanism reach people? Communicating Architecture would like to put aside competition and to draw the attention of a wider public to what our publishing work has in common—namely an interest in architectural content. Communicating Architecture is therefore also an opportunity to show the significance of books for a more comprehensive architectural debate. Carefully conceived books are an ideal medium for conveying complex issues and new ideas, as well as esthetic qualities of architecture, city planning, and urbanism. At the same time, we hope that Communicating Architecture will encourage not only colleagues from the sector, but also interested parties from a variety of sectors to contribute together to open discussions and therefore to raise wide public awareness of architecture and urbanism topics, in the interests of building culture.