12.5 (far left)
This attractive scene in
Sperlonga in Italy shows how
changes of level can be handled
along a pedestrian route. Clues
to where the pathway leads are
marked by archways with
doorways providing a secondary
focus.12.6 (left)
The archway above this street
in Siena signifies where a
territorial edge occurs and the
steps further on are designed
as private, not public, space.illuminated advertisements or supermarket frontages
exploiting these qualities.
Whether your sketch seeks to analyse a traditional
route and its landmarks or a modern one, the same rules
apply. Select a good vantage point, compose the drawing
in your mind before you begin, ensure the perspective is
correctly handled, and make sure the marker on the route
is prominently displayed.
Routes are not only deliberately landmarked, but
undergo pleasant changes of direction or level. Frequently
a curve in a street is the place to find a distinctive house
or shopfront, and at changes of level there may be an old
pub or group of ancient trees. Where steps occur they
can enliven the scene, especially if there are decorative
handrails or lamps to light the way. Search out these
incidental events, for they are part of the character of
towns and are frequently being swept away or
standardised by insensitive municipal authorities.
Towns with spatial richness consist of a mixture of the
different sorts of streets listed earlier. Generally it is only
the bigger cities and those with distinct historical layers,
such as Edinburgh, York or Chester, that offer the full
repertoire of types of routes situated close together.
Other countries are more fortunate – around the
Mediterranean it is commonplace to find in quite small
places a network of fascinating streets and lanes leading
to and from a town square. Here the spatial tensions
experienced by the pedestrian are enhanced not only by
many changes of level, but also by abrupt alterations of
scale as, for instance, a grand central square suddenlyStreets, lanes and footpaths 103