Introducing students to original drawings in the Prints & Drawings Study Room is an inspiring and vivid way to interest them in architecture and architectural design processes.
The Designing Pattern resource box contains a selection of drawings which range in date from the 1830s to the 1940s. They show the interior and exterior decoration of Classical and Egyptian Revival buildings, Indian monuments and plans for modern buildings. The box also includes pattern designs made by Owen Jones for his publication The Grammar of Ornament (1856). Jones sourced these patterns from diverse non-western and western cultures and developed his designs during a period of travel in the 1850s.
Topographical drawing of the mausoleum of Itimâd-ud-Daulâ
Topographical drawings of the mausoleum of Itimâd-ud-Daulâ, Agra, India
Uninidentified draughtsman
About 1830
Watercolour on paper
RIBA No. SB78/7(1)This mausoleum, or tomb, was built betweeen 1622 and 1628 in honour of the father of Nur Jahan, wife of the Mughal Emperor Jahagir. He had been given the title of Itimâd-ud-Daulâ (pillar of the state). The building has been described as a 'jewel box' or as the 'Baby Taj', because it was a precursor for the larger Taj Mahal.
The mausoleum is almost symmetrical. It was made from white marble inlaid with precious stones including cornelian, jasper, lapis lazuli, onyx and topaz. There are patterns of flowering plants within the arches; a popular decorative device found in many objects from this period. Sunlight enters the building through perforated stone 'jali' screens, carved in ornamental patterns. Drawings such as these were made by Indian draughtsmen for British officials working in India, as an artistic record of the great monuments of the Mughal Empire.
Topographical drawing of the mausoleum of Itimâd-ud-Daulâ (interior)
Topographical drawings of the mausoleum of Itimâd-ud-Daulâ, Agra, India
Uninidentified draughtsman
About 1830
Watercolour on paper
RIBA No. SB78/7(3)This mausoleum, or tomb, was built betweeen 1622 and 1628 in honour of the father of Nur Jahan, wife of the Mughal Emperor Jahagir. He had been given the title of Itimâd-ud-Daulâ (pillar of the state). The building has been described as a 'jewel box' or as the 'Baby Taj', because it was a precursor for the larger Taj Mahal.
The mausoleum is almost symmetrical. It was made from white marble inlaid with precious stones including cornelian, jasper, lapis lazuli, onyx and topaz. There are patterns of flowering plants within the arches; a popular decorative device found in many objects from this period. Sunlight enters the building through perforated stone 'jali' screens, carved in ornamental patterns. Drawings such as these were made by Indian draughtsmen for British officials working in India, as an artistic record of the great monuments of the Mughal Empire.
Studies of columns
Studies of columns and entablatures, demonstrating the five orders of architecture
George Smith (b.1811 or 1812)
1800s
pencil on paper
RIBA No. PB688 (28)Ancient Greek and Roman buildings often contain columns which support facades or beams. The design and size of the column, in relation to the building above it, often conforms to a style known as an 'order'. The Greeks used three orders: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. The Romans added two more: Tuscan and Composite.
Each order had a particular symbolism. The Doric order, for example, was considered masculine and can be found in temples dedicated to male gods. The Ionic order was used for temples dedicated to female gods.
George Smith records details of the five orders in this drawing. Interest in Classical architecture increased during the 18th and 19th centuries, due to new archaeological discoveries in Greece and Italy which fuelled the imagination of artists, designers and architects.
Study of Corinthian Capital
Measured study of a Corinthian capital, base and entablature
George Smith (b.1811 or 1812)
1800s
Pen on paper
RIBA No. PB688/7 (7)The Corinthian order was very popular with the Romans who liked a more ornate style. The capitals were decorated with rounded acanthus leaves.
Design for the Halls of Justice
Design for the Halls of Justice ('The Tombs'), New York: front elevation
John Haviland (1792-1852)
1835
Pen and pencil on paper
RIBA No. SC28/2 (7)This drawing shows the front of a prison, known as the Halls of Justice, in New York City. The architect John Haviland was born in Taunton, Somerset but moved to America in 1816. He wrote a book entitled 'Builder's Assistant', which was one of the earliest architectural pattern books written and published in North America.
Haviland's design for this building was inspired by an engraving of an Egyptian mausoleum. Egyptian temples were massive structures characterized by thick walls, flat roofs and closely spaced columns. These columns are built in a style known as palmiform, which represents palm fronds tied to a pole. Other Egyptian columns look like lotus buds or papyrus. The pattern above the windows and over the front entrance represents a vulture, with widespread wings. This symbolized protection and maternal care, and was often used to decorate temple ceilings in Ancient Egypt.
100 houses Scheme
Unexecuted design for a prefabricated house front for the 100 Houses Scheme, Thorntree Gill Housing, Peterlee, County Durham
Lubetkin & Tecton (drawn by Peter Yates)
1949
Watercolour on paper
RIBA No. PA115/8(1-19)Berthold Lubetkin, a Russian emigre, founded Tecton with six British architects in 1932. The firm quickly became known for pioneering modernist design. Influenced by the abstract art of the period, they showed a preference for using simple lines, squares, rectangles and other geometric shapes in their work.
100 houses Scheme
Unexecuted design for a prefabricated house front for the 100 Houses Scheme, Thorntree Gill Housing, Peterlee, County Durham
Lubetkin & Tecton (drawn by Peter Yates)
1949
Watercolour on paper
RIBA No. PA115/8(1-19)Berthold Lubetkin, a Russian emigre, founded Tecton with six British architects in 1932. The firm quickly became known for pioneering modernist design. Influenced by the abstract art of the period, they showed a preference for using simple lines, squares, rectangles and other geometric shapes in their work.
Topographical studies of windows
Topographical studies of windows from different historical periods
John Richard Stammers,
About 1936
Pencil and wash on paper
RIBA No. PA182/4
RIBA Library Drawings CollectionIn these drawings, architectural student Stammers records different styles of window from Ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman examples through to Renaissance and Baroque windows. In the the 11th and 12th centuries, small windows were safer and less expensive. Later, as glass became cheaper to produce and times more peaceful, windows could become larger and more ornate. The opening was often divided by carved stonework called tracery. Windows usually had pointed arches but circular rose windows were also popular.
Topographical drawings of chimneys
Topographical and measured drawings of 16th century brick chimneys
John Richard Stammers
About 1936
Pen with brown washes on paper
RIBA No. PA182/5In these drawings, architectural student Stammers analyses the design of 16th century brick chimneys in England; including one from Hampton Court Palace. Until the 14th century, chimneys were rare as houses were heated by a central hearth with smoke escaping through an opening in the roof. As it became more common for fireplaces to be built in other rooms, chimney stacks were built on the exterior of buildings and by the 16th century, these became a decorative feature that either appeared in single shafts or grouped together. Designs were varied with the shafts ranging in shape from cylinders to octagons, ornamented with zigzags, honeycomb patterns or twists.
Designs for ornamental roof tiles
Design for ornamental roof ridge tiles
Harry Stuart Goodhart-Rendel (1887-1959)
About 1930
Pen on tracing paper
RIBA No. PB371/66 (1)
RIBA Library Drawings CollectionThe ridge of a roof needs to be waterproofed, using lead or ridge tiles. The decorative terracotta ridge tiles shown here have different vertical crests, including the 4 hole hexagonal crest, the cockscomb crest and the Trefoil crest. These crests first became popular in the Victorian era.
The architect Harry Stuart Goodhart-Rendel, president of the Royal Institute of British Architects from 1937-1939, was described as having 'the most complete and detailed knowledge of English 19th Century architecture of anyone of his time'.
Design for the interior decoration
Design for the interior decoration of 1 Grosvenor Crescent, London, featuring green patterned wallpaper and a door with stained glass panels
George Aitchison (1825-1910)
About 1886
Watercolour on paper
RIBA No. SB95 2George Aitchison's interior decoration schemes contain exotic patterns and strong colours. These are common features of the Aesthetic style, popularised in late 19th century. Many British artists and designers at this time were inspired by Japanese art and uses stylised motifs based on natural forms. The front door has stained glass in two of the door's panels; a distinctive Victorian design innovation. You can see the only surviving example of Aitchison's decorative schemes in the Arab Hall of Leighton House, South Kensington.
Design for the interior decoration
Design for the interior decoration of 1 Grosvenor Crescent, London, featuring green patterned wallpaper and a door with stained glass panels
George Aitchison (1825-1910)
About 1886
Watercolour on paper
RIBA No. SB95 3George Aitchison's interior decoration schemes contain exotic patterns and strong colours. These are common features of the Aesthetic style, popularised in late 19th century. Many British artists and designers at this time were inspired by Japanese art and uses stylised motifs based on natural forms. The front door has stained glass in two of the door's panels; a distinctive Victorian design innovation. You can see the only surviving example of Aitchison's decorative schemes in the Arab Hall of Leighton House, South Kensington.
Design for tiled pavement
Design for tiled pavement
All Saints' Church, Harrow Weald, London
William Butterfield (1814-1900)
1840s
Pen, pencil and coloured wash on paper
RIBA No. PA126/3 (2)William Butterfield was a Gothic Revival architect who reinterpreted features of the original Gothic style, such as decorative floor tiles, in Victorian terms. He is best known for designing churches but also designed colleges and schools. He liked to use geometric shapes and patterns in his designs for buildings, brickwork and tiles. This is part of a drawing showing the design for the tiled pavements of the All Saints' Church in Harrow Weald.
Designs for a fireplace
Fireplace with 3 different designs
Harry Stuart Goodhart-Rendel
(1887-1959)
About 1930
Pen and Pencil on graph paper
RIBA No. PB341/40Three possible designs for a fireplace are drawn here. The architect has noted that it is important to have surface pattern on the fireplace to conceal casting irregularities. Below in pencil, he has made light sketches of some other possible designs. The designs include one with panelling, another with the Greek key pattern and a third more complex geometric pattern.
Wallpaper design by CFA Voysey
Design for wallpaper featuring stylized roses, rosehips and leaves
Charles Francis Annesley Voysey (1857-1941)
1906-7
Watercolour on paper
RIBA No. SB118/VOY 722Voysey was an architect and a designer of wallpaper, fabrics and furnishings. He developed the 'Arts and Crafts' style, famously pioneered by William Morris, which was developed in the 1860s as a reaction against the industrialisation of Victorian Britain. Nature was an important source of Arts and Crafts motifs and the patterns used were inspired by British plants, birds and animals. Those involved in the Arts and Crafts movement believed in the equality of the decorative arts with the fine arts and felt that the home should be a work of art.
Wallpaper design by CFA Voysey
Design for wallpaper featuring blackbirds among stylized leaves
Charles Francis Annesley Voysey, (1857-1941)
1906-7
Watercolour on paper
RIBA No. SB118/VOY 733Voysey was an architect and a designer of wallpaper, fabrics and furnishings. He developed the 'Arts and Crafts' style, famously pioneered by William Morris, which was developed in the 1860s as a reaction against the industrialisation of Victorian Britain. Nature was an important source of Arts and Crafts motifs and the patterns used were inspired by British plants, birds and animals. Those involved in the Arts and Crafts movement believed in the equality of the decorative arts with the fine arts and felt that the home should be a work of art.
Stair carpet design
Stair carpet design for a housing scheme, Berlin-Lankwitz: orange and blue colourways
Hermann, Fritz Heinrich, later known as Frederick Henry (1898-1983)
About 1930
Watercolour and pencil on paper
RIBA No. PB413(47) 237-9
RIBA Library Drawings CollectionThese designs for stair carpets for a communal housing scheme in Berlin were made in three colour schemes, red, blue and green. The abstract art of the period influenced domestic designs, which often used geometric shapes and patterns. The architect Fritz Heinrich Hermann came to Britain in the 1930s as a refugee from Nazism and anglicised his name, becoming known as Frederick Henry Hermann.
Stair carpet design
Stair carpet design for a housing scheme, Berlin-Lankwitz: orange and blue colourways
Hermann, Fritz Heinrich, later known as Frederick Henry (1898-1983)
1930
Watercolour and pencil on paper
RIBA No. PB413(47) 237-9
RIBA Library Drawings CollectionThese designs for stair carpets for a communal housing scheme in Berlin were made in three colour schemes, red, blue and green. The abstract art of the period influenced domestic designs, which often used geometric shapes and patterns. The architect Fritz Heinrich Hermann came to Britain in the 1930s as a refugee from Nazism and anglicised his name, becoming known as Frederick Henry Hermann.
Wallpaper design
Design for wallpaper featuring aeroplanes
Raymond McGrath (1903-1977)
About 1932
Watercolour on paper
RIBA No. PB550/6 1
RIBA Library Drawings CollectionRaymond McGrath was a British Australian architect and interior designer. These wallpaper designs date from the mid-1930s and may be connected to his work for Imperial Airways. The prevailing style of the time was Art Deco which celebrated the mechanized, modern world and in particular, the new opportunities made possible to travel by luxury liner, high speed train and aeroplane.
Wallpaper design
Design for wallpaper featuring aeroplanes; blue and Red colourways
Raymond McGrath (1903-1977)
About 1932
Watercolour on paper
RIBA No. PB550/6 2
RIBA Library Drawings CollectionRaymond McGrath was a British Australian architect and interior designer. These wallpaper designs date from the mid-1930s and may be connected to his work for Imperial Airways. The prevailing style of the time was Art Deco which celebrated the mechanized, modern world and in particular, the new opportunities made possible to travel by luxury liner, high speed train and aeroplane.
Teachers' notes
When booking your visit to the Prints & Drawings Study Room, also pre-book the Designing Pattern resource box. The objects from the box will be put on display for you to look at when you arrive. The notes below will help you to explain the drawings to your students. You might choose to examine some as a group, before allowing students to look independently. The drawings show a diverse range of design processes which you could encourage students to try out at school/college.
Download: Designing pattern study room resource box teachers' notes (PDF file, 493 KB)
The objects are unique and often fragile items, so please ensure that your students follow these instructions:
- Coats and bags must be left in the Sackler Centre Lockers or Museum cloakrooms before you visit the Prints & Drawings Study Room.
- Pencils only can be used in the Prints & Drawings Study Room.
- Move carefully around the room, ensuring students don’t jog tables, chairs or lean on items
- Take care not to sneeze or cough over the works
Encourage the students to consider some of the following questions before reading the notes on each drawing:
The artist or architects’ intentions:
- What do you think were the artist or architect’s aims and intentions?
- Can you find out who the image is for?
- Where can you see pattern in the drawing? On which part of the building does it feature? e.g. interior or exterior, doorway, chimney.
- Is it structural (helps support the building) or decorative (surface decoration)?
- What different types of pattern can you identify? e.g. rotating, reflecting, tessellating
- What shapes or motifs have been used? Are they abstract or figurative?
- Does the pattern convey any symbolism, messages or meanings?
- Do you think this pattern would improve the design of a building or not?
- Have you seen any other buildings or designs that use patterns like these?
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