Add to ORKGThis text elaborates on the status of the architectural drawing. Starting from a quote by Gianbattista Vico (Vico 1725) the text considers a preliminary design drawing of the Boathouse (Van Den Berghe 2009). Through describing the drawing process of this drawing, the author demonstrates how the architectural drawing can transcend its generally accepted status of representation so as to become presence in its own right. All too often the architectural drawing is considered as the failing representation of the finally built result. The author demonstrates and brings the implicit awareness of the architect to the surface that very often the built result appears to be the failing representation of the magnificent version of the world that is th...