Micromegas is a mesmerizing suite of drawings whose contribution to architecture is philosophical rather than functional. Representing neither a physical structure nor a legible plan, these visionary works are intensely analytical explorations of the limits of drawing — a rethinking of the definition and purpose of architectural representation.

offers a kind of frenzied synthesis of the entire history of drawing, from Piranesi through Kandinsky to Le Corbusier and John Hejduk. Each composition is an explosion of every conceivable graphic gesture and compositional device. The barely perceptible difference in values between the pencil markings and the tone of the watercolor paper confounds the sense of depth in the drawings, as line and symbol interact in a not-quite-three-dimensional space.

When first shown, these chaotic compositions of seemingly unidentifiable technical elements — tilted ground planes and skewed walls, columns, and beams, all compressed within a rectangular frame — were immediately recognized as a revolutionary challenge to traditional architectural rendering. Their unorthodox nature created an international sensation and established Libeskind’s reputation as a visionary architect.