Cities of stone

Stone can be cut away to create space, stacked to hold a slope, shaped into a façade or fitted into a roof. These different operations leave clues in the surfaces a visitor sees. A joint, tool mark or transition between rock and building can tell a more interesting story than an uninterrupted distant view.

Start at human scale. Look at an opening, a stair or the meeting of two walls. Imagine the sequence of decisions rather than only the completed monument. In a rock-cut place, the relationship between excavation and construction is particularly revealing; in dry-stone work, the arrangement of individual pieces matters.

Avoid treating all stone architecture as equally permanent. Weather, water, use and repairs continue to affect it. A living settlement also contains homes and ordinary routines. Respectful looking includes knowing where access and photography stop.

What changes when you compare these places? Which would you add to My Top 100, and what specific feature supports that choice? The most interesting answer may be the one that differs from the project’s order.