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Quotes by Architect
"As of essential importance in town churches which are not at all equally necessary in the country."
30
"The possession of arbitrary power has always, the world over, tended irresistibly to destroy humane sensibility, magnanimity, and truth."
30
"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."
30
"We must always take from nature what we paint and always choose the most beautiful things."
29
"Architecture is involved with the world, but at the same time it has a certain autonomy. This autonomy cannot be explained in terms of traditional logic because the most interesting parts of the work are non-verbal. They operate within the terms of the work, like any art."
28
"First, there is the bare beauty of the logs themselves with their long lines and firm curves. Then there is the open charm felt of the structural features which are not hidden under plaster and ornament, but are clearly revealed, a charm felt in Japanese architecture."
28
"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."
28
"Our greatest responsibility is not to be pencils of the past."
27
"But the building's identity resided in the ornament."
27
"We find Japan a little more difficult to understand because it has proven its 20th century prowess though the ancient traditions still persist."
27
"I know it is a somewhat delicate matter to refuse a gift, but in this case the statue is so atrocious that every endeavour should be made to keep it out of the church."
27
"Through the wholesale destruction of the representatives of a class that from the beginning of history had been the directing and creative force in civilization, a process began which was almost mechanical."
27
"We must learn to understand humanity better so that we can create an environment that is more beneficial to people, more rewarding, more pleasant to experience."
26
"Towards the end of the eighteenth century the industrial-financial revolution began."
26
"As the power of Christianity declined through the centuries that have followed the Reformation, Calvinism played a less and less important part, while the new philosophies of mechanism and rationalism correspondingly increased."
26
"The Achilles Heel of the Americas was the lack of cultural confidence typical of new settlers."
25
"The quiet rhythmic monotone of the wall of logs fills one with the rustic peace of a secluded nook in the woods."
25
"There are elements of intrinsic beauty in the simplification of a house built on the log cabin idea."
25
"In things to be seen at once, much variety makes confusion, another vice of beauty. In things that are not seen at once, and have no respect one to another, great variety is commendable, provided this variety transgress not the rules of optics and geometry."
25
"Buildings should serve people, not the other way around."
24
"Architects in the past have tended to concentrate their attention on the building as a static object. I believe dynamics are more important: the dynamics of people, their interaction with spaces and environmental condition."
22
"It is through accomplishment that man makes his contribution and contribution is life's greatest reward."
22
"Architecture doesn't come from theory. You don't think your way through a building."
21
"Tahiti has been spoiled for many years, but Bali is one of the few cultures with origins in one of the great ancient cultures which is still alive."
21
"With regard to the moral and religious condition of the slaves, I cannot, either from what I observe, or from what is told me, consider it in any way gratifying."
21
"When I thought about the calibre of people in the room I realized we might just have a credible candidate for Mayor who will would finally enforce the laws of the city. It was almost too good to be true."
21
"No phenomenon can be isolated, but has repercussions through every aspect of our lives. We are learning that we are a fundamental part of nature's ecosystems."
20
"After 1980, you never heard reference to space again. Surface, the most convincing evidence of the descent into materialism, became the focus of design. Space disappeared."
19
"With production alone as the goal, industry in North America was dominated by the assembly line, standardization for mass consumption."
19
"The job of buildings is to improve human relations: architecture must ease them, not make them worse."
19
"You have to see a building to comprehend it. Photographs cannot convey the experience, nor film."
17
"The house itself is of minor importance. Its relation to the community is the thing that really counts."
17
"We are stymied by regulations, limited choice and the threat of litigation. Neither consultants nor industry itself provide research which takes architecture forward."
16
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