Hashtags, Cement, and Art: the 12 best Instagram Profiles for Celebrating World Architecture Day

Intersecting lines taking our breath away. Perspectives vanish on the horizon, taking us to distant worlds. Facades overflowing with color over clean, minimalist walls. Art and functionality. Form and function. Architecture shapes the world we live in, constantly playing with the limits that the laws of physics impose on the artist’s inspiration.

Since 1985, the International Union of Architects  (UIA) has celebrated the work of the world’s great architects on one particular day. Back then it was in July, but later on (in 1996  at the UIA conference held in Barcelona) it was decided that it would be held along with the UN’s World Habitat Day. Since then, World Architecture Day has taken place annually on the first Monday of October.

To celebrate this year on October 7, 2019, we’ve selected the 12 best Instagram profiles where you can take in architecture and get inspired. Photographers, studios, magazines, and architects are all on this list. From the best-known accounts that have millions of followers to profiles that are less well-known but just as interesting.

@archdigest and its 4.6 million followers

The Instagram account for the prestigious magazine Architectural Digest is one of the leaders in architecture on the social network. Its more than 4.6 million followers solidify its status as one of the heavyweight profiles in architecture on Instagram – a perfect account for finding inspiration and staying up to date on the latest news: Architectural Digest publishes the annual AD100 list of the most influential architects in the world.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1ZTbrwnfNP/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

@le_blanc and Sebastian Weiss’s brand of minimalism

We’ll jump from a well-established magazine to one of the leading architecture photographers on Instagram. German photographer Sebastian Weiss captures the beauty of city shapes with a certain air of German minimalism and an unbridled passion for cement. His 224,000 followers and the long list of prizes that he has won certify the interest in his work.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BzbApgMCt8k/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

@barcelonafacades: modernism and modernity

From the angular buildings of the cutting-edge Poble Nou district to the touches of modernism throughout Eixample, this account chases architectural inspiration all across the same city: Barcelona. Managed by photographer Roc Isern, the Barcelona Facades account is a fairly well-kept secret (63,000 followers), but it is full of windows, balconies, and moldings to get lost in.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BihvCgEgan4/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

@architecture_hunter: influencing since 2013

It started out as an Instagram profile and wound up becoming a startup seeking to revolutionize the way people connect with architecture. Under the slogan “hunting for inspiring architecture that needs to be seen by the world,”  Architecture Hunter has been on the social network since 2013. Since then, it has published almost 4,000 photographs and managed to hook nearly two million followers.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2SEdYgnZER/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

@mabota11 and pop architecture

“The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love color the most.” This quote from British writer and artist John Ruskin heads Aude Delannoy Dib’s Instagram profile. This photographer, who specializes in street photography seeks color wherever she can find it, whether it’s on the facades of luxurious buildings or ramshackle corners. Lines, shadows, and perspectives do the rest. Don’t let her mere 16,000 followers fool you – it’s worth a look.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqK5wkAgGOx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

@nicanorgarcia and The Best Influencers 2019

“This veteran architect has built everything from housing to offices to schools… But as a photographer, he is an international influencer in the field of architectural and urban photography.” That is how Forbes introduces Nicanor García, included on The Best Influencers 2019 list for his commanding presence on Instagram (almost 750,000 followers). His profile showcases travel, people, and a ton of architecture.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByQY0blIvST/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

@finnharries: buildings and the environment

With 1.4 million followers, Finn Harries is one of the great influencers in the world of architecture. His profile recently moved toward more climate activism, though not abandoning construction and architecture. His study of the impact of architectural design on people’s lives through the example of Copenhagen is one of the most interesting of his recent works.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/BxfO5aHBM5M/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

@designboom: tradition of influencers

In 2007, at the dawn of social media, TIME magazine selected Designboom as one of the 100 top design influencers worldwide. Today, they still hold that spot with more than 2.4 million followers on Instagram and a profile that knows how to get the most out of this digital platform.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2TSkGyCZPI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

A little history with @thearchitectureprofessor

Greek temples, Norman castles, Catalan modernism, and industrial architecture in the United States. Anything and everything that has to do with the history of how and why we build our world finds its way onto the account managed by Jerry Larson, professor of architecture at the University of Cincinnati. Encouraged by his success, he has launched another similar profile focused on Chicago’s urban history. In both cases, his posts are accompanied by an informative blurb.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B0S602epx94/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

@bjarkeingels, a studio with Nordic inspiration

This Danish architect and founder of the Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) studio is known for designs that defy convention, move towards sustainability, and are built on sociological principles. He understands architecture to be an instrument for turning fiction into reality, a concept that he has coined as Worldcraft

https://www.instagram.com/p/B2mTRd5A_yz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

@lucianokruk.arquitectos: cement, wood, and nature

The Instagram account belonging to Argentine architectural firm Luciano Kruk fuses modern structures and designs with nature. Its characteristic mix of cement, wood, and vegetation and spaces filled with reflections has brought more than 100,000 followers to this profile on the social network.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1RIXbInyxO/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

@archdaily and collaborative design

ArchDaily is one of the biggest architecture pages on the planet. With more than 2.3 million followers, this Instagram profile could only follow suit. This account is a mix of editorial curation and proposals from followers, constituting a collaborative, very up-to-date profile on trends in design and architecture.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B1wTzhqAO6g/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

@macenzo: a farewell between the lines

Lines, both parallel and perpendicular. Oblique, whimsical, infinite. Balanced angles and perspectives in harmony. Dutch photographer Dirk Bakker’s account follows lines. Whether on scaffolding or a glass palace, in a labyrinthine fountain in Doha or a spiral of balconies in Amsterdam, Bakker has a particular talent for capturing lines. Around 430,000 followers have gotten hooked on his photography.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bf3cSEkhKIx/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link