Savant syndrome is the curious and fascinating condition in which a developmental disorder of the brain yields a certain brilliance and expertise in one or more areas. We may have all seen Dustin Hoffman count a scattered pile of toothpicks on the floor in the blink of an eye in Rain Man or heard stories of children displaying moments of mathematical genius that defy conceivable explanation, but what if an individual with savant syndrome were driven to imagine entire cities, from specific buildings and institutions to public spaces, infrastructure, and master plans? What does architecture look like from an unreachable extreme of the human mind? Look no further than Urville, a megalopolis with a population of 12 million that resides in the imagination of French autistic savant Gilles Trehin.

More after the jump.

Like Harvey Darger or J.R.R. Tolkien, Trehin spent decades transcribing his complex vision onto paper. Using different line weights, Trehin built up his fictional city, planting grand landscaping schemes, boring Haussmann-inspired avenues through Urville, and erecting eccentric high-rises evocative of the ominous charcoaled cityscapes of Hugh Ferriss and the cheeky urbanisms of Saul Steinberg.

The drawings fold in past and future, science and fantasy: cold glass-and-steel skylines reminiscent of China’s densest business districts find their place alongside sentimental Parisian architecture, Gaudi-esque apartment complexes and seaside ports containing docked ships with majestic sails. The collection is incredibly holistic; Trehin’s fictitious architectural landmarks pop up consistently in different views of the city, revealing the artist’s solid spatial conception of this imaginary megalopolis. Though Urville realistically embraces the shaping forces of globalization, Trehin’s obsessive drawings pulsate with an innocent, wide-eyed variety of city life, illustrating a beautifully collaged alternative reality for contemporary cities.

All images courtesy the artist. Hat tip to Maria Popova of Brain Pickings.

by Kelly Chan

posted in Uncategorized

tagged architectural drawing, design, drawing, Gilles Trehin, planning, Savant Syndrome, Urville

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