Il diagramma: il disegno del pensiero

This paper aims at investigating the current use of the diagram within the architectural process. Throughout the works of selected contemporary architects and specific case-studies, a variety of diagrammatic drawings or graphic means will highlight the search of representations able to visualise the ideas behind the design project, rather than being merely descriptive. Starting from these examples, it will be observed that the diagram has become more and more a complex and sophisticated mean within the contemporary realm, becoming «an abstract machine for thinking», as defined by Gilles Deleuze.