Latin American Architecture Magazines: Their History and Legacy

Abstract

Architecture magazines constitute the most important source of information to study the 20^th century Latin American architecture. During the 19^th century very few ones were published with a limited graphic material. 20^th century magazines of the continent that surpass 500 titles allow us to know what was been done as well as what never got completed (unfinished aids or designs), critics to the work at that time and the present one. In aword, the possibility of an overall reading. the difficulties for consulting complete collections are due to the ephemeral life of many of them, the changes in name and format, the editions' discontinuity and the circulation problems derived from the fact that many magazines are published outside of the commercial circuits and by professonal, academic or institutional organizations. Architecture magazines have traditionally responded to their publishers criteria. The commercial ones are the most flexible of all, adapting to a diversification, and very attentive to market demands. Nevertheless, there are magazines that were constituted conduits of architectonic tendencies or marketing expression of some architecture studies; others express particular segments such as student magazines or those of gremial organisms and many times, information on architecture can be found in both art and literary magazines that include specific pages dedicated to our discipline. In conclusion, it is an exceptional documentation source to understand last century's architecture and eventually come to comprehend the one of our time as well.