Architectuul is an online architecture catalog that operates as a crowdsourced platform for building documentation and knowledge exchange. Established in 2010 by a team of architects, graphic designers, and software engineers, the initiative emerged from a desire to create more dynamic architectural discourse. Co-founder Matevž Čelik noted that the architectural establishment at the time remained confined to infrequently published professional magazines dominated by postmodern discussions about form, while the field itself was rapidly transforming with aggressive private development and emerging independent practices.
The platform functions similarly to Wikipedia, with users contributing text and images under Creative Commons licenses. Its collection spans various architectural eras, with particularly strong coverage of twentieth-century buildings and rare Constructivist architecture. Over its first decade, Architectuul gained recognition as a significant resource, becoming cited by publications including The Wall Street Journal and utilized by universities as an educational tool.
By 2020, marking its tenth anniversary, the organization underwent substantial restructuring. It relaunched its website with a remodeled data infrastructure and introduced guest editors to provide expertise on contemporary architectural topics. The platform also renewed its commitment to open data accessibility, now accommodating archives from other architecture institutions to facilitate broader knowledge exchange and heritage conservation within the built environment.
Rather than functioning as a traditional professional body, Architectuul operates as an open community dedicated to documenting architecture across all registers—from canonized works to overlooked examples, spanning classical to contemporary and conventional to unconventional designs. This approach reflects its underlying philosophy of democratizing architectural knowledge through collaborative participation.