Architect Drawings - A Selection of Sketches by World Famous Architects Through History

‘style’ or imitate a construction rendering, but sketches are unique conceptual thinking and

thus difficult to reproduce. In this way, sketches can be perceived as more distinctively indi-

vidual as compared to completed drawings that utilize conventional methods of representa-

tion. As an essence of thinking they are quick, expressive and unique to the individual

architects and it is these traits that render them difficult to falsify. The act of miscrediting

architectural sketches may stem from the melding of collections by several architects such as

the case of John Webb having inherited sketches by both Palladio and Inigo Jones. The

instances where architects were in partnership or a sketch is substantially brief may also make

identifying authorship more complex. The most important aspect of this argument asserts that

most architects felt that their sketches were part of a process and valueless compared to the

built structure, consequently there has been little motive to claim false authorship. The prob-

lem was usually not intentional falsification but concerns the many images that have been sep-

arated from, or sold individually out of, collections.

An effort was made to obtain sketches by prominent architects through history and from

around the world. As a history of architectural sketches, this collection focuses less on the

architect’s whole body of work, important accomplishments or theories, but rather targets

the sketch as an artifact remaining as evidence of a place in history and as evidence of an

architect’s individual expression. The sketches were selected to represent a variety of styles,

an array of media uses and a range of functions, for example sketches acting as travel com-

panions, sketches entreated to contemplate construction details or sketches conjured to

assist first conceptual inspiration. Primary importance involved the speculation about

meaning for these architects in a process of design intention and to provide insight into the

evolution of architectural sketches through history.

NOTES

1. Marco Frascari, Critical Conversations in Media, Drawing as Theory, ACSA Annual Meeting 2001.

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