"The career which Alvar Aalto created for himself during his life time was based on his skill to market himself, to find himself the best possible assistants. The myth about Aalto was formed hand in hand with his work."
- Göran Schildt
Architects are communicating more now than ever, yet many struggle to do this in a way that is strategic in its reach while supporting their work. Communication should be enjoyable too, so many shy away from it fearing corporate and managerial style PR as well as other run of the mill marketing practices that have crept into this field. Instead they welcome informed and empathetic advice that is nuanced and also astute in how it positions their work. This is what I seek to give clients, whilst continuing to build happily on my education in art and architectural history as well as curatorial studies.
For me, essential to successful PR is conveying a studio's identity so that it resonates as a creative extension of the work itself, giving it a celebratory dimension. At their best, architects' identities address our sense of artistic experience and, of course, feel authentic. By championing integrity and ingenuity in the expression of identity, I hope to encourage clients to stay clear of the types of fleeting trends that date so many branding efforts and end up making everything look and sound much the same.
My expertise is in placing media coverage and organising building launches and events. Although most of my clients are London-based, I also have strong editorial and other contacts outside the UK and especially in continental Europe and the United States and with many of these going back over 20 years. In addition to media coverage, there are other different ways in which a studio can present itself to the public that positively reinforce critical press validation and a studio's reputation. For example, I often work on exhibitions, talks, symposia and editorial projects including social media.
Is It All About Image (Wiley 2004) outlines my approach to PR and communication and has been revisited through a critical reflection on the current architecture communication culture in the issue of AD that I guest edited: The Identity of The Architect (Wiley 2019).
Drawings on this site are by Gabor Gallov
