Chapter 21 Using drawing to analyse an urban area
CASE STUDY 1 THE MERCHANT CITY, GLASGOW The Merchant City area of Glasgow is typical of the kind of inner city neighbourhood that can be analysed through drawing. By using a combination of freehand sketching and mechanical drawing it is possible to describe the main ingredients of urban form and the key role played by particular features of architecture or townscape. Depending upon the nature of the area, the analysis could deal with the following points:
• the urban structure of the area; • the role played by public buildings; • the nature and characteristics of the background architecture; • key decorative elements such as windows or doors; • entrances and gateways; • squares, streets, urban spaces and landscape design; • proportional systems.
21.1 This axonometric drawing of the Merchant City area of Glasgow shows the public buildings in black and the rest in white. Simple shade has been employed to show the approximate height of buildings relative to the width of streets. The importance of Ingram Street is highlighted by the public monuments at either end (only one survives).
178 Understanding architecture through drawing