RIBA Journal

The RIBA Journal is the official publication of the Royal Institute of British Architects, based in London. It has the largest circulation of any UK-originating architecture magazine. It is often known simply as the RIBAJ.[1]

The RIBA Journal

Editor	Eleanor Young (acting editor), Chris Foges (contributing editor)
Former editors	Hugh Pearman
Staff writers	Jan-Carlos Kucharek Isabelle Priest
Categories	Architecture
Frequency	Monthly
Circulation	26,495 (ABC June 2020)
Publisher	Royal Institute of British Architects
Founder	RIBA
Year founded	1893
Country	United Kingdom
Based in	London
Language	English
Website	www.ribaj.com
ISSN	0953-6973

It is a monthly publication in print, but the online edition is updated more frequently and has additional content. From the February 2021 issue Eleanor Young is acting editor, Jan-Carlos Kucharek acting deputy editor, and Isabelle Priest acting managing editor. Chris Foges, previously editor of Architecture Today, has been appointed contributing editor.

The RIBA has issued publications since its foundation in 1834, and the magazine evolved from these. It was established in 1893[2] as the Journal of proceedings of the Royal Institute of British Architects and was the same year renamed Journal of the Royal Institute of British Architects or simply The RIBA Journal. Until the outbreak of the Second World War it appeared fortnightly, then monthly. From 1986 to 1987 it was rebranded The Architect: The Journal of the RIBA, then reverted to its previous title. Until the 1940s it was usual for the RIBA Librarian also to be editor of the RIBA Journal. A notable example was Edward 'Bobby' Carter, from 1930-1946.[3]

Between 1993 and 2008 the magazine was published in a joint venture with an outside publisher, the Builder Group, later absorbed into UBM. The RIBA kept a 25% stake. In 2008 the RIBA once again took 100% ownership, contracting out its publication to Atom Publishing. In 2012 the publication moved to RIBA Enterprises, the commercial wing of the Institute: since 2016 it has been published directly by the Institute.[4] Part of RIBA Publishing, it operates largely on a self-financing commercial basis through advertising, sponsorship and non-member subscriptions. This arm's length relationship extends to its independent editorial voice, which is by policy not controlled by the Institute. In 2015 the magazine moved into new offices at 76 Portland Place designed by architects Theis + Khan in what had previously been the Institute of Physics building.[5]

In 2012 the magazine launched a magazine supplement "Products in Practice" or PiP, which is published six times a year, edited by Jan-Carlos Kucharek.[6] In 2013 both the RIBAJ and PiP were redesigned by Matt Willey, relaunching in September that year.[7] In 2014 the website, ribaj.com was also redesigned and relaunched, with numerous subsequent upgrades. The RIBA Journal operates a "digital first" policy whereby material is published first online. In January 2019 the cover was redesigned by Linda Byrne of consultancy Alphabetical Order. [8]

In 2009 and 2014 the RIBA Journal won the International Building Press National Journalism "Magazine of the Year" award in its non-weekly category[9][10] In March 2016 a critical independent survey of the RIBA by another publication, the Architect's Journal, asked the question "What does the RIBA do best?" Respondents voted for the RIBA Journal by a clear margin, with a high approval rating.[11]

In 2016 the RIBAJ instigated the MacEwen Award, subtitled "architecture for the common good", named after its campaigning former editor and his town-planner wife Anni MacEwen.[12]