Art and Architecture (SP3055)

Engineering

The building of the Escorial was an immense feat of civil engineering. The architects not only designed a building, but solved technical problems and supervised the workforce. Felipe and Herrera, for example, worked together to think out a scheme for competitive bidding between the stonemasons and another for dressing the stone in the quarry rather than at the building site. The result was a staggering acceleration in progress. Here is a design for the type of derrick you see in the Hatfield print.