Taschen's new book, published in October 2025, Tadao Ando. Sketches, Drawings, and Architecturepresents an in-depth exploration of the Japanese architect Tadao Ando's creative process, bringing together over 750 sketches, drawings, models, and technical plans developed over nearly five decades. Created in close collaboration with Ando himself, the book provides a rare view into how his ideas take shape, from the immediacy of the first pencil lines to the precision of architectural drawings that define his built works. Through these materials, the publication highlights Ando's enduring focus on the relationship between hand, thought, and space.
Architecture's design process has always been shaped by the tools at hand. We once drew with pen and ink on fragile sheets, copied by blueprint and guarded against smudges and tears; then Mylar arrived, making revisions and preservation easier and nudging drawings toward a leaner, more deliberate economy of lines. Computer-aided drafting followed, speeding coordination and changing how we think about scale and precision. Today, AI adds another layer—gathering information in seconds and spinning images on command—promising new efficiencies while raising fresh questions about authorship and craft. What we make, and how we make it, has evolved with each tool; the history of our methods is the history of our ideas.
Beginning in the post-war era, Mylar (developed in the 1950s) eased drawing reproduction and hastened the shift from blueprint to whiteprint processes. Before Mylar, simply preserving drawings—keeping an idea intact, legible, and undamaged—was a significant task. Post-war design priorities often leaned toward efficiency, simplicity, and an industrial minimalism aligned with reconstruction needs. The tools reinforced this: architectural work remained predominantly hand-drawn, where every line took time to lay down and even more time to erase. That labour sharpened the economy of drawing; each stroke had to earn its place.
Amid questions, reflections, and debates, the work of Clorindo Testa embodies an innate connection between artistic and architectural experimentation, reflected in many of his built projects, sketches, models, and plans. From the Mariano Moreno National Library to the former Bank of London building in Buenos Aires, his production is of such scope, diversity, and complexity that it constitutes a major source of study, one that also includes unbuilt projects that deserve visibility and recognition on a global scale. In his final years of professional activity, two unbuilt projects of religious architecture highlight Testa’s work not only as an architect but also as a visual artist.
The use of primary colors, pure forms, and concrete represent some of the most distinctive characteristics of Clorindo Testa’s architecture, which is inseparable from his visual art. Reflecting on themes such as living in large cities or the conditions of life in urban spaces, the powerful expressiveness and plasticity of his works, together with the character of the line, his typical color palette, and the frequent presence of the human figure, reveal the importance and meaning he attributed to scales, uses, and perceptions as an architect who never settled for the first idea.
Léon Krier's Sketches. Image Courtesy of MIT Press
Léon Krier, the Luxembourg-born architect and urban theorist renowned for his critical stance against modernist planning and his influential role in the New Urbanism movement, passed away on June 17, 2025, at the age of 79. Known for his uncompromising critique of modernist planning and his vision for human-scaled, walkable communities, Krier leaves behind a substantial body of built work, theoretical writing, and educational influence.
Over a career spanning several decades, Krier advocated for a return to classical architecture and human-scaled urbanism, positioning himself as a leading critic of sprawling suburban development and high-rise modernism. His advocacy for walkable, mixed-use neighborhoods and his insistence on the cultural and social value of architecture challenged the prevailing norms of late 20th-century urban planning.
"Steven Holl – Drawing as Thought," an extensive exhibition of the American architect's original watercolors, is now on view at the Tchoban Foundation Museum for Architectural Drawing in Berlin. It reveals insights behind some of Holl's key projects and design methodology. The selected drawings range from early unbuilt winning competition entries to some of the latest visions now under construction in Europe and the United States. Occupying the museum's two levels, the show opened on February 6 with a conversation between Holl and the museum's founder and architect Sergei Tchoban, as well as addresses by Kristin Feireiss, the exhibition's curator and founding director of the next-door Aedes Architecture Forum, and Diana Carta, an architect and scholar from Rome. The show, which can be visited until May 4th, is accompanied by a catalog that states, "The work of internationally renowned US architect Steven Holl is distinguished not only by his extraordinary buildings, with a focus on cultural and public structures such as museums, art centers, concert halls, libraries and universities worldwide, but also by his artistic oeuvre, which today comprises more than 50,000 sketches, black-and-white drawings, and watercolors. […] While exhibition visitors will only encounter a small portion of his extensive body of work, each drawing should be explored and studied individually, in keeping with Holl's intent."
"Soane and Modernism: Make it New" brings together architectural drawings from Sir John Soane's extensive collection in dialogue with works by renowned modernist figures, including Le Corbusier, Frank Lloyd Wright, Adolf Loos, and Ernő Goldfinger. Curated by Dr. Erin McKellar, Assistant Curator of Exhibitions at Sir John Soane's Museum, the exhibition highlights the presence of 20th-century modern architectural design ideals in the work of 19th-century architect Sir John Soane. The selection of works is based on the idea that Soane's designs can be considered a precursor to many architectural principles adopted in the twentieth century.
In architecture, the way we communicate our ideas is just as important as the spaces we design. But how can we convey these thoughts most effectively? While words hold influence, visuals are indispensable. Much like a musical score shapes a melody, drawings transform abstract concepts into tangible forms, acting as a shared language for architects and designers. They facilitate understanding and refinement of design concepts, especially in a digital era where precise graphic communication is essential to translate the experience of space. From this perspective, Architecture Candy explores architectural graphics to streamline and enhance visual communication within the fast-paced realm of architecture, which increasingly depends on advanced digital tools and workflows. The studio aims to be a go-to resource for elevating ideas with clarity, harnessing design and storytelling to narrate complex concepts through a minimalist style.
https://www.archdaily.com/1023896/concept-storytelling-and-visualization-the-power-of-graphic-communication-in-architectureEnrique Tovar
Perspective drawing of the Lower Manhattan Expressway / City Corridor project (unbuilt), New York ca. 1967–72. The Museum of Modern Art, New York, Gift of the Howard Gilman Foundation (1290.2000). Image Courtesy of The Met
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has opened a major exhibition focused on the diverse and innovative career of Paul Rudolph, a second-generation Modernist architect whose work stands alongside luminaries such as Eero Saarinen and I.M. Pei. Titled "Materialized Space: The Architecture of Paul Rudolph," the exhibition is on display from September 30, 2024, to March 16, 2025, covering a wide spectrum of Rudolph's architectural contributions, from his experimental houses in Florida, through civic projects, to visionary urban megastructures and mixed-use skyscrapers.
For centuries, models have been central to architectural design, providing architects with a tangible way to explore ideas, test concepts, and communicate their vision. From the Renaissance to Modernism, models have been instrumental in the construction and reflection processes, offering insights into form, proportion, and spatial relationships. However, in today's digital age, where 3D modelsand Virtual Reality(VR) have become powerful and efficient tools, the question arises: Are physical models still relevant in contemporary architecture?
The Museum of Architectural Drawing presents “Lina Bo Bardi - The Poetry of Concrete,” an exhibition featuring 40 drawings by the esteemed architect Lina Bo Bardi, highlighting her architectural legacy. Showing together for the first time in Europe, these works include sketches and designs, photographs of the architect’s buildings, and illustrations. Taking place in Berlin, Germany, the exhibition opened on 31 May 2024 and will continue until 22 September 2024.
The rise of generative AI has given every design educator sufficient reason to reconsider both what to teach and how to teach it. Training an architect is a long process, and mapping it onto an uncertain future is a daunting task. Researchers at OpenAI, DeepMind, Meta, and similar companies seem constantly surprised by the rapid development and sometimes unforeseen capabilities of their AI creations. If even the creators don’t know how fast the future will arrive, it would be hubristic for any of us to claim that AI will do X or AI won’t be able to do Y in the next decade, which is about how long it takes to really train an architect.
https://www.archdaily.com/1014830/how-ai-can-help-us-end-design-education-anachronismsEric J. Cesal
Finding an efficient configuration for a small apartment is not an easy task. Basic housing programs should be distributed in minimal spaces without losing comfort. Below, we have made a selection of 10 apartments under 38 square meters and compiled their axonometric drawings, to inspire you.
As another year draws to a close, ArchDaily's team of curators is pleased to present a selection of the best architectural drawings published throughout 2023, without which the projects' appreciation would certainly not be the same.
Architectural representation plays a fundamental role both in the design process - from the very first sketches to the finest construction details - and in its presentation to a wider audience. Thus, during the selection process, we were able to see a rich and varied set of designs that were part of the more than 4,000 project publications this year. We had the difficult task of coming up with the most representative and inspiring ones amongst them.
For architects, schools are often complex structures to design. They must provide a variety of spaces for education, and also consider sports and recreational activities. But beyond its size or surface, the greatest challenge is to design an area that fosters a positive pedagogical environment for children. Below, a selection of +70 school projects with their drawings to inspire your proposals for learning campuses.
Digitization has revolutionized the way we experience art on platforms like SINGULART, which combines multiple influences from various artists.. Image Courtesy of SINGULART
The relationship between art and architecture is a recurring topic of discussion, seeing as architecture can be positioned at the intersection of structure, technology, and aesthetics. Despite the utilization of technical knowledge, architecture, and interior design also incorporate artistic concepts into their processes. From captivating illustrations during the design development phase to murals and artistic pieces that form an integral part of spatial conception, art plays an essential role in architectural production and society.
In the context of contemporary society, many of our activities are carried out digitally, from booking accommodation for travel to manufacturing materials and creating art exhibitions. In this sense, digitalization has also permeated the art world, conceiving initiatives like SINGULART, which challenges the traditional concept of art galleries by existing in a digital format. This platform combines works from various sources of inspiration and artistic techniques, encompassing everything from sketches and paintings to architectural photography. It fuses multiple influences from various contexts, including architectural work.
https://www.archdaily.com/1006625/from-sketch-to-painting-a-digital-art-gallery-to-inspire-everyday-architectural-workEnrique Tovar
How many times have you been faced with the challenge of designing a cultural center? While this may seem like quite a feat, many architects have had to design a program that blends a community center with culture.
Among the projects published on our site, we have found numerous examples that highlight different responses, from flexible configurations to sites that prioritize central gathering areas for citizens and activities. See our series of 50 community centers and their plans and sections below.
Image created using AI under the prompt: A sober and captivating visual representation of an urban environment that flawlessly captures the essence of anime and architecture. Image via DALL·E 2
World War II left a profound influence on the evolution of society, introducing significant changes in the fields of urban planning and architecture. During the 1930s, the Congrès Internationaux d'Architecture Moderne (CIAM) promoted modernism on an international scale. After the war, this architectural movement became firmly established as the dominant one, driven by the imperative of reconstruction and technological advancements. Influential figures like Le Corbusier and Alvar Aalto spearheaded this movement.
In 1959, the same year as the final CIAM meeting, Japanese architects like Kenzō Tange, Kishō Kurokawa —the designer of the Nakagin Capsule Tower—, and Kiyonori Kikutake began to explore new approaches to urban design and architecture, known as the Metabolist movement. This exploration was particularly significant in the context of Tokyo's rapid repopulation after the war and the scarcity of resources for reconstruction. Innovative concepts such as Marine City, The City in the Air, and the 1960 plan for Tokyo emerged, which proposed the city as a constantly evolving organism and emphasized the relationship between humans and their built environment. These ideas shaped the concept of "megacities" and reflected Japan's creative response to its challenging postwar situation.
https://www.archdaily.com/1007021/textures-skyscrapers-and-urban-landscapes-when-anime-meets-architectureEnrique Tovar
