Recently I have been pondering the changing role of the architectural drawing, and what it might mean for what we consider the practice of architecture to be.

In ancient Eqypt, far from the democratic access technology gives us today, books of architectural plans and details were kept as closely guarded and sacred secrets by the Pharaohs. Architects were there to advise and help, but designing a building was seen as semi-divine. Only the gods, in this case the Pharaohs (the client!), could be seen to hold ownership of that design.

There’s a painting showing a merging of plan and section of the Amerna Palace in the tomb of Mery-Re, high priest of Aten. It is the essence of the palace if you will, rather than a description of what it is or how it is built. However there is little surviving evidence to hypothesise from with any certainty about how drawings were used.

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