Last Updated on September 13, 2024
People travel long distances all over the world to see famous works of architecture such as the Lotus Temple, Cologne Cathedral, the One World Trade Center, and St Paul’s Cathedral among others.
It’s often that before they embark on these journeys they look for articles about these sites so that they know what to expect when they get to their destination.
However, when they find these articles, they are frequently met with technical jargon and tired old clichés.
This doesn’t have to be the case.
As a writer, you can write about architecture in such a way that people will actually get to read your article without having to feel that they are excluded from the discussion.
This article looks at seven ways to write an architecture essay that people will actually read.
1. Write for people
Attend any essay writing course and the first thing you will learn is that, when you write, you should write for people.
What does this mean in reality?
It means that you should start by asking yourself what an ordinary person would want to know about a work of architecture.
Ask the questions on behalf of the reader and then answer those questions in your essay.
Writing for people means that you’re writing in first person language.
Of course, this could be different if you are doing academic writing but your main goal should still be to convey useful information to your reader.
2. Set the scene
Works of architecture are usually about people. This is the reason why setting the scene and including the human interest in your article can connect the reader to it.
When you write your architecture piece, set the scene by writing about the economic, social, and cultural background where the building you wish to write about is located.
This doesn’t have to take a huge chunk of the essay: one sentence could be enough to connect the reader to the article.
3. Use Quotations
Quotations have been used by writers for a long time now for one simple reason: they work.
Architecture writing can also benefit from the use of a quotation.
However, ensure that the quotation is relevant to architecture and it can be attributed to a famous person who will add gravitas to your essay.
The thing about a good quote is that it can actually become the pivot of the whole essay and summarize it in just a few words.
4. Use the eye of the mind
People who read about architecture want to get a picture they can relate to from your article.
This is the reason why you need to use emotive imagery when you write.
What does this mean in reality?
It means using a lot of descriptive words. Refer to the colors and how the elements such as the sun interact with the building.
Make the reader feel as if they are there through the use of language that is highly evocative.
5. Ask questions
Everybody loves to be involved and there is no better way to involve your reader than by asking them a question.
Do you see how this shows respect for the person who is reading?
Questions can be rhetorical or they can be open ended.
Whatever the case is, get the reader to start interacting with your article by getting them involved in the discussion.
A rhetorical question can help an essay writer to draw attention to a certain idea in the article, here you can ask professional writers about rhetorical questions.
6. Use Wit
The building you write about could be dry, but the writing doesn’t have to be. Architecture can be serious business but it can be funny too.
Using wit makes the sentences you write more memorable. T
his could include making fun of the ideas of the architect.
Every reader loves to smile once in a while, even when they read about such subjects which may look technical like architecture.
7. Use metaphors and similes
People tend to understand stuff when you explain it to them using things they already know.
If you want to write about that beautiful new eco-friendly building, you could say that it looks like a towering mountain standing beside the sea.
Tell the reader what its taste would like if it was a meal or who it would be if it was a person.
This will make those who may never get the chance to see the work of architecture you are writing about to get the picture.
