David Holm still draws by hand – here’s a glimpse into his sketches of major cities and what them unique

David Holm, principal at Cox Architecture, Churchill Fellow and UTS adjunct professor, has designed projects such as the new Western Sydney Airport, Barangaroo and Singapore’s Changi Airport. He spent years hand drawing impressions of leading cities around the globe, exploring what makes great cities thrive. His sketchbook has been collected by the State Library of NSW.

The following is an extract from his book Drawing the City.

–

It is forecast that by 2050 in most countries of the world 90 per cent of the population will be urban based with the remaining 10 per cent engaged in agrarian living. This trend of transition to urban living is increasing at an exponential rate, thus placing an acute realisation and review of the traditional city and how it can provide for the wellbeing of its occupants socially and culturally.

It is proffered that one of the aspects central to the success and enjoyment of urban living is the creation of and access to durable public open-space environments, which are used for a variety of functions that provide social activity and cultural benefits.

This is even more apparent within increasing urban densities.

Charles Correa, the seminal Indian architect, commented that, ‘The cities of the world must become more absorptive and at once enjoyable.’

It is this gentle subcontinental view that inspires my thinking for the growth of cities and the making of public places.

Cities past, present and future are made more enjoyable and liveable by the creation and the inclusion of public open space in its many varied forms, ranging from architecturally defined places to green open spaces. Cities have evolved to absorb all of life.

It is widely acknowledged that our cities and societal infrastructure cannot sustain continued urban sprawl, eroding valuable agricultural land and natural environments of ecological importance.

Urban development since the 20th century has seen us embrace the values of traditional placemaking, blended, not always successfully, in the latter part of the 20th century, with a reliance on the motor vehicle. Pedestrian-focused uses that had been in balance for centuries are now in open conflict with vehicular traffic.

The motor vehicle liberated the notion of the compact city by giving access to the countryside, while suburbia gave the advantage of suburban living: one could appreciate the benefits of the city while living in quasi countryside.

If limited, this is an acceptable model, however its success and attraction have caused economic, social and environmental issues which are only resolved by containing further urban expansion. The profound effect the motor vehicle has had on cities throughout the 20th century may well face further challenges as society embraces the autonomous vehicle model and what it may mean for the city of the future.

Similar typological shifts have affected our cities from the late 20th century onwards and will continue to do so. Born out of North America, the often private and managed interior of the shopping centre changed the definition of public spaces while competing with the more traditional main street models of urban and mercantile gathering.

Further, the invention and rise of the world wide web and internet in the last thirty years has led to the emerging notion of virtual public spaces. In addition, our cities are now subject to a culture of constant surveillance. While this has profound and obvious benefits, the impact on how people occupy, perceive and inhabit public space will surely evolve in response.

Some may argue that these shifts will usurp the need for physical public space.

This would seem a premature contemplation in my view.

Historically, public place has been provided by public bodies worldwide. As our urban environments evolve and diversify into the 21st century with increasing densities, the provision of publicly accessed space needs continual exploration, including new private supply and the reinvention of traditionally private spaces in the city.

As we increase the density of our urban environments, our public places

become paramount. It is the premise of this book that cities are at a nexus of resolving increasing urban densities by holding durable community public placemaking at their core. Dense urban living can occur if focused on quality public open place provision.

As an architect and urban designer using the established model of analysing precedent through my drawings and observations, I have visited and drawn over 500 public places within cities worldwide, experiencing and recording cultural and typological varieties over the last 40 years.

There are many more examples of these spaces worldwide; these are just the ones I have been fortunate enough to visit.

When I first started, I began by observing architecture as single buildings, however that has matured into a fascination of the life that exists between buildings—the public places.

My illustrations show the variety, scale and use of spaces within the city. They are places of gathering, ceremony, relaxation, trade, transaction and education or are used for visual and environmental respite.

The reason I draw every day is because as a child I believed that that’s what an architect would do. When I draw in an urban environment, it slows me down to truly observe and record. In all weathers, times of day and conditions, I draw with a small sketchbook to further understand and experience where I am and who I am with.

To me, drawing is architecture.

You can buy David George Holms’ book Drawing the City here.