Quotes by Architect | Beyond Motive 12/14

top of page

Quotes by Architect

"The whole memorial is for different senses... seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling. I probably would have come up with something different if I had not lived through it."

"The whole memorial is for different senses... seeing, hearing, feeling, smelling. I probably would have come up with something different if I had not lived through it."

Lawrence Halprin, American Architect

Feelings, Feeling, Hearing, Senses

27

"When I came to America in the '60s, it was the place to be. I wonder if I'd come here today."

"When I came to America in the '60s, it was the place to be. I wonder if I'd come here today."

Helmut Jahn, German Architect

America, Today, Wonder

27

"I want to do very useful buildings and I would like to find a method of producing these buildings through our technology because I think that this is the only way that we will gain wonderful environment easily in the future."

"I want to do very useful buildings and I would like to find a method of producing these buildings through our technology because I think that this is the only way that we will gain wonderful environment easily in the future."

Minoru Yamasaki, American Architect

Technology, Environment, Future, Gain

27

"The only thing that mattered was what you were to do in life, and it wasn't about money. It was about teaching, or learning."

"The only thing that mattered was what you were to do in life, and it wasn't about money. It was about teaching, or learning."

Maya Lin, American Architect

Life, Money, Learning, Teaching

27

"And sometimes I'm criticized. But I think that if those who criticize us will look at the reason why the shape is this, well then, I think that they would not object so strenuously."

"And sometimes I'm criticized. But I think that if those who criticize us will look at the reason why the shape is this, well then, I think that they would not object so strenuously."

Minoru Yamasaki, American Architect

27

"In revolt against this new and very evil thing came the republicanism of the eighteenth century, inspired and directed in large measure by members of the fast perishing aristocracy of race, character and tradition."

"In revolt against this new and very evil thing came the republicanism of the eighteenth century, inspired and directed in large measure by members of the fast perishing aristocracy of race, character and tradition."

Ralph A. Cram, American Architect

Character, Aristocracy, Evil, Measure

27

"To me, Shakespeare uses the supernatural elements to reveal his character's inner desires and fears."

"To me, Shakespeare uses the supernatural elements to reveal his character's inner desires and fears."

John Foster, British Architect

Character, Shakespeare, Supernatural

27

"Washington is the only city in the world where you can go to a black-tie dinner and there at the foot of the table is a television set up to catch a press conference."

"Washington is the only city in the world where you can go to a black-tie dinner and there at the foot of the table is a television set up to catch a press conference."

Hugh Newell Jacobsen, American Architect

Press, Television, Washington, World

27

"If I have a style, I am not aware of it."

"If I have a style, I am not aware of it."

Michael Graves, American Architect

26

"It terrified me to have an idea that was solely mine to be no longer a part of my mind, but totally public."

"It terrified me to have an idea that was solely mine to be no longer a part of my mind, but totally public."

Maya Lin, American Architect

Idea, Mind, Public

26

"The multiplicity of ideas is what I'm interested in."

"The multiplicity of ideas is what I'm interested in."

Thom Mayne, American Architect

Ideas, Multiplicity

26

"Even though I build buildings and I pursue my architecture, I pursue it as an artist. I deliberately keep a tiny studio. I don't want to be an architectural firm. I want to remain an artist."

"Even though I build buildings and I pursue my architecture, I pursue it as an artist. I deliberately keep a tiny studio. I don't want to be an architectural firm. I want to remain an artist."

Maya Lin, American Architect

Architecture, Artist, Want

26

"Well, I've always just - I've never really gone out looking for work. I always waited for it to sort of hit me on the head."

"Well, I've always just - I've never really gone out looking for work. I always waited for it to sort of hit me on the head."

Frank Gehry, American Architect

26

"It was the spirit animating the mass and flowing from it, and it expressed the individuality of the building."

"It was the spirit animating the mass and flowing from it, and it expressed the individuality of the building."

Louis Sullivan, American Architect

Building, Individuality, Spirit

26

"I don't believe in morality in architecture."

"I don't believe in morality in architecture."

Michael Graves, American Architect

Architecture, Morality

26

"As of essential importance in town churches which are not at all equally necessary in the country."

"As of essential importance in town churches which are not at all equally necessary in the country."

George Edmund Street, English Architect

Church, Churches, Country, Importance

26

"Our time is so specialised that we have people who know more and more or less and less."

"Our time is so specialised that we have people who know more and more or less and less."

Alvar Aalto, Finnish Architect

26

"In designing hardware to be used every day, it was important to keep both the human aspects and the machine in mind. What looks good also often feels good."

"In designing hardware to be used every day, it was important to keep both the human aspects and the machine in mind. What looks good also often feels good."

Michael Graves, American Architect

Day, Hardware, Machine, Mind

26

"Sometimes you have to stop thinking. Sometimes you shut down completely. I think that's true in any creative field."

"Sometimes you have to stop thinking. Sometimes you shut down completely. I think that's true in any creative field."

Maya Lin, American Architect

26

"I do not feel certain until I have confronted my initial solution with other solutions - although in fact the first solution often proves to be the right one."

"I do not feel certain until I have confronted my initial solution with other solutions - although in fact the first solution often proves to be the right one."

Arne Jacobsen, Danish Architect

Fact, First, Right, Solution

26

"The government only makes restrictive rules, they don't show you what to do so you know, OK, here's where we need this many apartments, with open space, playgrounds, kindergartens."

"The government only makes restrictive rules, they don't show you what to do so you know, OK, here's where we need this many apartments, with open space, playgrounds, kindergartens."

Harry Seidler, Australian Architect

Government, Open, Rules, Space

26

"There will never be great architects or great architecture without great patrons."

"There will never be great architects or great architecture without great patrons."

Edwin Lutyens, British Architect

Architecture, Will

26

"I've learned that in order to achieve what I wanted, it made more sense to negotiate than to defend the autonomy of my work by pounding my fist on the table."

"I've learned that in order to achieve what I wanted, it made more sense to negotiate than to defend the autonomy of my work by pounding my fist on the table."

Thom Mayne, American Architect

Work, Order, Sense

26

"The permanent power brokers of this city are the columnists."

"The permanent power brokers of this city are the columnists."

Hugh Newell Jacobsen, American Architect

26

"It was very unusual to employ prettiness as part of a building."

"It was very unusual to employ prettiness as part of a building."

Robert Venturi, American Architect

25

"Thus, the more succinctly a train of thought was expounded, and the more comprehensive the unity of its basic idea, the closer it would approximate to the prerequisites of the mathematical way of thinking."

"Thus, the more succinctly a train of thought was expounded, and the more comprehensive the unity of its basic idea, the closer it would approximate to the prerequisites of the mathematical way of thinking."

Max Bill, Swiss Architect

Thought, Idea, Thinking, Unity

25

"So I am totally aware that when I defend the autonomy of art I'm going counter to my own development. It's more an instinctive reaction, meant to protect the private aspect of the work, the part I am most interested in and which nowadays is at risk in our culture."

"So I am totally aware that when I defend the autonomy of art I'm going counter to my own development. It's more an instinctive reaction, meant to protect the private aspect of the work, the part I am most interested in and which nowadays is at risk in our culture."

Thom Mayne, American Architect

Art, Work, Development, Culture

25

"It was a requirement by the veterans to list the 57,000 names. We're reaching a time that we'll acknowledge the individual in a war on a national level."

"It was a requirement by the veterans to list the 57,000 names. We're reaching a time that we'll acknowledge the individual in a war on a national level."

Maya Lin, American Architect

Time, War, Names, Veterans

25

"In other words, I have no truck for anyone who goes out and does an eclectic building."

"In other words, I have no truck for anyone who goes out and does an eclectic building."

Minoru Yamasaki, American Architect

Building, Words

25

"It's funny, as you live through something you're not aware of it."

"It's funny, as you live through something you're not aware of it."

Maya Lin, American Architect

25

"The possession of arbitrary power has always, the world over, tended irresistibly to destroy humane sensibility, magnanimity, and truth."

"The possession of arbitrary power has always, the world over, tended irresistibly to destroy humane sensibility, magnanimity, and truth."

Frederick Law Olmsted, American Architect

Power, Truth, Possession, Sensibility

25

"Japanese architecture is very much copied in this country and in Europe."

"Japanese architecture is very much copied in this country and in Europe."

Minoru Yamasaki, American Architect

Architecture, Country, Europe

25

"The pursuit of perfection always implies a definite aristocracy, which is as much a goal of effort as a noble philosophy, an august civil polity or a great art."

"The pursuit of perfection always implies a definite aristocracy, which is as much a goal of effort as a noble philosophy, an august civil polity or a great art."

Ralph A. Cram, American Architect

Art, Goal, Aristocracy, Effort

25

"You might say that when you step inside, you're entering a honorific space, but that's something totally different than experiencing it. And in architecture the experience comes first. That has the deepest effect on us."

"You might say that when you step inside, you're entering a honorific space, but that's something totally different than experiencing it. And in architecture the experience comes first. That has the deepest effect on us."

Thom Mayne, American Architect

Architecture, Experience, Effect, First

25

"Because the quality of living with nature and allowing it to manifest itself is different than the quality of living in a city, especially a dense city."

"Because the quality of living with nature and allowing it to manifest itself is different than the quality of living in a city, especially a dense city."

Lawrence Halprin, American Architect

Nature, Quality, Living

25

"OK, it was black, it was below grade, I was female, Asian American, young, too young to have served. Yet I think none of the opposition in that sense hurt me."

"OK, it was black, it was below grade, I was female, Asian American, young, too young to have served. Yet I think none of the opposition in that sense hurt me."

Maya Lin, American Architect

American, Hurt, Opposition, Sense

25

"I have been criticized rather strenuously by painters and sculptors for not incorporating their work in our buildings."

"I have been criticized rather strenuously by painters and sculptors for not incorporating their work in our buildings."

Minoru Yamasaki, American Architect

25

"Because one of the benefits of getting older, I guess-there are very few benefits, really - most of them are a pain in the butt. People depend on me more; they believe in me more, they think I'm good."

"Because one of the benefits of getting older, I guess-there are very few benefits, really - most of them are a pain in the butt. People depend on me more; they believe in me more, they think I'm good."

Lawrence Halprin, American Architect

People, Benefits, Pain

25

"Art is very tricky because it's what you do for yourself. It's much harder for me to make those works than the monuments or the architecture."

"Art is very tricky because it's what you do for yourself. It's much harder for me to make those works than the monuments or the architecture."

Maya Lin, American Architect

Architecture, Art, Monuments

24

"My career was 100% different from what I intended to do. I thought I'd photograph nature and landscapes but I wound up photographing the changing of the times."

"My career was 100% different from what I intended to do. I thought I'd photograph nature and landscapes but I wound up photographing the changing of the times."

Charles Moore, American Architect

Nature, Thought, Career

24

"Organic architecture seeks superior sense of use and a finer sense of comfort, expressed in organic simplicity."

"Organic architecture seeks superior sense of use and a finer sense of comfort, expressed in organic simplicity."

Frank Lloyd Wright, American Architect

Architecture, Comfort, Sense, Simplicity

24

"If we can't face death, we'll never overcome it. You have to look it straight in the eye. Then you can turn around and walk back out into the light."

"If we can't face death, we'll never overcome it. You have to look it straight in the eye. Then you can turn around and walk back out into the light."

Maya Lin, American Architect

Death, Eye, Light

24

"But freedom, liberty, is an attribute of the soul and it may exist even when the body is in bondage."

"But freedom, liberty, is an attribute of the soul and it may exist even when the body is in bondage."

Ralph A. Cram, American Architect

Soul, Body, Freedom, Liberty

24

"My buildings don't speak in words but by means of their own spaciousness."

"My buildings don't speak in words but by means of their own spaciousness."

Thom Mayne, American Architect

24

"We must always take from nature what we paint and always choose the most beautiful things."

"We must always take from nature what we paint and always choose the most beautiful things."

Leon Battista Alberti, Italian Architect

24

"Some artists want to confront. Some want to invoke thought. They're all necessary and they're all valid."

"Some artists want to confront. Some want to invoke thought. They're all necessary and they're all valid."

Maya Lin, American Architect

Thought, Artists, Want

24

"I have designed the most buildings of any living American architect."

"I have designed the most buildings of any living American architect."

Alexander Jackson Davis, American Architect

American, Living

24

"Even in modern art, artists have used methods based on calculation, inasmuch as these elements, alongside those of a more personal and emotional nature, give balance and harmony to any work of art."

"Even in modern art, artists have used methods based on calculation, inasmuch as these elements, alongside those of a more personal and emotional nature, give balance and harmony to any work of art."

Max Bill, Swiss Architect

Art, Work, Nature, Artists

24

"Men can do all things if they will."

"Men can do all things if they will."

Leon Battista Alberti, Italian Architect

24

"I'm often called an old-fashioned modernist. But the modernists had the absurd idea that architecture could heal the world. That's impossible. And today nobody expects architects to have these grand visions any more."

"I'm often called an old-fashioned modernist. But the modernists had the absurd idea that architecture could heal the world. That's impossible. And today nobody expects architects to have these grand visions any more."

Thom Mayne, American Architect

Architecture, Idea, Old, Today

24

bottom of page