Roy Sanjana Shubhashish

Thesis

Diagrams are a means of expressing singular ideas through abstraction. Their purpose depends largely on the ideology of the architect. Although the nature of most diagrams are very individualistic and specific, there are some diagrams which have transcended over time, scales and geographies and have inspired other diagrams and works of architecture. This study aims to investigate the Nine Square Grid (9SG) as an architectural diagram used for formal organization. It states the 9SG as an archetype which has been repeatedly used across history. The versatility of this diagram lies in its characteristics which can be achieved through multiple formal configurations. This study thus demonstrates through the use of 55 examples the varied use of the 9SG diagram in architecture and also attempts to showcase the various transformations of the base diagram by different architects to emphasize certain characteristics of the plan. Thus it demonstrates the historic continuity of the diagram and its versatility.