Jean Renaudie’s Sketches: Expressiveness and Urban Complexity

Abstract

A reading of graphic design in architecture allows us to rediscover the thought that underlies
the space-time of the process. This article analyzes the initial sketches for six urban construction
projects by Jean Renaudie (1925-1981) with the goal of demonstrating their dual role as
criticisms and proposals. The conclusions will reveal a questioning of functionalist urbanism
and a commitment to a city configured by the leitmotifs of the complexity of spatial relations
and the combination of functions.