9.2 a, b, c and d
These four drawings take
the theme of exploring bridge
crossings over the canals of
Venice. Each sketch relates
the bridges to the adjoining
palace façades.selected are of, or appear alongside, ‘hinge’ buildings
that act as key ‘events’ in the unfolding of the urban
experience. Gateways provide an obvious example, but
often steps or a café are equally useful to aid the
observer. Few major towns are without such a sequence
of spaces and key buildings, and to search them out
through the sketchbook is a valuable and enjoyable
experience. Sadly many modern places are without these
qualities and the designer’s challenge today is how to
introduce greater spatial variety into an otherwise dull
network of streets.
If you are seeking to analyse urban space through
such means, you may find sketch plans useful. They can
help relate your sketches to key factors in the structure of
the town, and explain dynamic or spatial relationships that
were only hinted at in the street view.
By using sequential sketches to analyse urban scenes,
you will quickly become aware of the complex
geometries present. Slight deviations in routes or
changes in level can in reality be quite marked, though
they seem hardly discernable in plan or section. Likewise,
abrupt changes of direction can break the line of
continuity that is so important in the enjoyment of place.
Contrast can be employed deliberately and should be
reserved for siting significant public buildings such as the
sudden termination of a vista by a town hall or the set-
back on a street to reveal a church. Often, however, the
use of contrast is abused by private buildings such as a
supermarket or an office block seeking to draw attention
to itself.74 Understanding architecture through drawing