Submitted by M.L. R. Grove on Thu, 20/05/2021 - 10:52
The essay explores the construction of Gothic Cathedrals as an act of architectural drawing, seen through the unique preserved tracing-floors of York Minster, which contain some of the few surviving architectural drawings from the Medieval period. The etchings provide valuable insight into the process of design prior to the formalisation of architectural drawing conventions. Drawn to scale, the fragmentary and inter-related designs indicate a close relationship between drawing practices and contemporary construction methods, revealing a sculptural and 3D approach to design often lost in modern drawing conventions. The tracing rooms provide evidence of design as a distinct process, but also one that was inherently linked to construction.
Read the full piece at: https://drawingmatter.org/medieval-masons-and-tracing-floors/
