ABSTRACT
This chapter compares the differences in descriptions of Clare College, between the architect of Clare Hall aimed at architecture's external audience versus the one condensed from author Nick Ray's description aimed at those with a basic understanding of contemporary architecture history. Writing helps call attention to what about the project is most significant. For this you need words: Words organized into sentences that build upon one another to explain why the project resulted in this particular set of images and models, and not one of the infinite possible alternatives. From Clare's premise, in contrast, one would expect relatively intimately scaled surroundings, a distinct disregard for a strong formal hierarchy, and a diverse materials palette. For the external audience, provenance is usually best omitted; it's more information than people can process with a limited background in the subject. Ray targets an internal audience of connoisseurs, which expects a description originating in twentieth-century modern architecture.
