The work of designing a building - even the largest and most technically advanced structures - begins with the most basic of elements: a sketch. This beautifully produced volume reproduces more than one hundred of such initial sketches, drawn in chalk, by renowned Swiss architect Marianne Burkhalter. A cofounder of Burkhalter Sumi Architects, she has designed a wide range of acclaimed public and private buildings, including hotels, offices, and private homes, as well as large-scale urban redevelopment projects.
Each of these chalk drawings reveals the germ of an idea, their blurred lines and simplicity rendering them more intimate and immediate than technical draftsmanship - closer in feel to the decision-making process of a solitary artist choosing among many options and sorting out problems. In their beauty and tension, they bring the work of architectural design to stunning life.