Hassan Fathy, Aldo van Eyck and Bernard Rudofsky drawing Architecture

This article analyses the drawings of the Egyptian architect Hassan Fathy, the Dutch architect Aldo van Eyck and the Czech architect Bernard Rudofsky as three ways of representing architecture. It presents a comparative study of their graphic approaches as a basis to understand their built works. On the one hand, Fathy’s drawings do not seek to represent spaces, but rather to invent new ways of living. They are full of symbols, like a juxtaposition from different points of view that captures the key aspects of the place in which the architecture evolves. They show us a land of contrasts, with intense light from a radiant sun and deep shadows that create a sense of home. In contrast, Van Eyck’s drawings are a collection of indications that seem to affix thoughts onto paper. The lines and colours, accompanied by words, make up a truly visual text that does not attempt to technically describe the building, but creates a sort of instruction manual for the layout of objects on a surface. Lastly, Bernard Rudofsky does not propose with his drawings a new way of constructing architecture, but a new mode of living. For this reason he fills his images with individuals carrying out specific actions, explaining through their movements the suggested uses of the spaces. The three styles of drawing show, ultimately, three different ways to understand the profession: from Fathy’s ambiences shaped by tradition and natural forces, to Van Eyck’s montages of autonomous fragments, to Rudofsky’s investigations of new modes of living.