The Tools of the Architect: Towards a New Historiography, Following the EAHN’s Fifth Thematic Conference (Delft/Rotterdam 22–24 November 2017)

Abstract

In depictions of architects up to the 20th century, tools have always been the main marker of the profession. Tools not only served as easily recognisable iconographical attributes, but also came to embody architects’ professional identity. While architects have always relied on a wide array of tools, ranging from practical instruments and to conceptual apparatus, architectural history has only recently started to profoundly engage with their characteristics and function. The goal of the fifth thematic conference of the EAHN (Delft/Rotterdam, 22–24 November 2017, https://toolsofarchitect.com) was to promote a deeper cultural investigation of the tools of the architect and to acknowledge their agency in architectural culture. After three days of rich presentations and fruitful discussions, the study of tools emerged as a central theme of architectural historiography that requires more scholarly attention.