Quotes by Architect | Beyond Motive 9/14

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Quotes by Architect

"My dad was dean of fine arts at the university. I was casting bronzes in the school foundry. I was using the university as a playground."

"My dad was dean of fine arts at the university. I was casting bronzes in the school foundry. I was using the university as a playground."

Maya Lin, American Architect

Father, Dad, School, University

33

"Today's developer is a poor substitute for the committed entrepreneur of the last century for whom the work of architecture represented a chance to celebrate the worth of his enterprise."

"Today's developer is a poor substitute for the committed entrepreneur of the last century for whom the work of architecture represented a chance to celebrate the worth of his enterprise."

Arthur Erickson, Canadian Architect

Architecture, Work, Chance, Poor

33

"Nature is my manifestation of God. I go to nature every day for inspiration in the day's work. I follow in building the principles which nature has used in its domain."

"Nature is my manifestation of God. I go to nature every day for inspiration in the day's work. I follow in building the principles which nature has used in its domain."

Frank Lloyd Wright, American Architect

Nature, Work, God, Inspiration

33

"I was probably the first kid in my high school to go to Yale. I applied almost as a lark. Then, when I got there, I was the dumbest person in your class."

"I was probably the first kid in my high school to go to Yale. I applied almost as a lark. Then, when I got there, I was the dumbest person in your class."

Maya Lin, American Architect

Class, First, School

33

"In Europe, they're more demanding, the ones that rent the build ings."

"In Europe, they're more demanding, the ones that rent the build ings."

Helmut Jahn, German Architect

33

"Sometimes I have to accept a job I don't really want. Hardly anybody comes up to you with a commission; it's all competitions these days."

"Sometimes I have to accept a job I don't really want. Hardly anybody comes up to you with a commission; it's all competitions these days."

Helmut Jahn, German Architect

33

"People buy a chair, and they don't really care who designed it."

"People buy a chair, and they don't really care who designed it."

Arne Jacobsen, Danish Architect

33

"Roman civilization had achieved, within the bounds of its technology, relatively as great a mastery of time and space as we have achieved today."

"Roman civilization had achieved, within the bounds of its technology, relatively as great a mastery of time and space as we have achieved today."

Arthur Erickson, Canadian Architect

Time, Technology, Civilization, Space

33

"German and English firms operate internationally, while French firms do not. The only place where they all have work is in China. Anybody can sell himself in China!"

"German and English firms operate internationally, while French firms do not. The only place where they all have work is in China. Anybody can sell himself in China!"

Helmut Jahn, German Architect

33

"Rome has not seen a modern building in more than half a century. It is a city frozen in time."

"Rome has not seen a modern building in more than half a century. It is a city frozen in time."

Richard Meier, American Architect

Time, Building, Rome

33

"And when an architect has designed a house with large windows, which is a necessity today in order to pull the daylight into these very deep houses, then curtains come to play a big role in architecture."

"And when an architect has designed a house with large windows, which is a necessity today in order to pull the daylight into these very deep houses, then curtains come to play a big role in architecture."

Arne Jacobsen, Danish Architect

Architecture, Deep, Houses, Necessity

33

"The heart, not the head, must be the guide."

"The heart, not the head, must be the guide."

Arthur Erickson, Canadian Architect

33

"Our parents decided not to teach us Chinese. It was an era when they felt we would be better off if we didn't have that complication."

"Our parents decided not to teach us Chinese. It was an era when they felt we would be better off if we didn't have that complication."

Maya Lin, American Architect

33

"The process I go through in the art and the architecture, I actually want it to be almost childlike. Sometimes I think it's magical."

"The process I go through in the art and the architecture, I actually want it to be almost childlike. Sometimes I think it's magical."

Maya Lin, American Architect

Art, Architecture, Want

33

"Complexity is one of the great problems in environmental design."

"Complexity is one of the great problems in environmental design."

Christopher Alexander, American Architect

Design, Environmental, Complexity, Problems

33

"With a painter or a sculptor, one cannot begin to alter his works, but an architect has to put up with anything, because he makes utility objects - the building is there to be used, and times change."

"With a painter or a sculptor, one cannot begin to alter his works, but an architect has to put up with anything, because he makes utility objects - the building is there to be used, and times change."

Arne Jacobsen, Danish Architect

Change, Building

33

"A lot of my works deal with a passage, which is about time. I don't see anything that I do as a static object in space. It has to exist as a journey in time."

"A lot of my works deal with a passage, which is about time. I don't see anything that I do as a static object in space. It has to exist as a journey in time."

Maya Lin, American Architect

Time, Journey, Space

33

"The greater the step forward in knowledge, the greater is the one taken backward in search of wisdom."

"The greater the step forward in knowledge, the greater is the one taken backward in search of wisdom."

Stephen Gardiner, British Architect

Wisdom, Knowledge

33

"The way of architecture is the quiet voice that underlies it and has guided it from the beginning."

"The way of architecture is the quiet voice that underlies it and has guided it from the beginning."

Arthur Erickson, Canadian Architect

Architecture, Beginning, Quiet, Voice

32

"The awesomeness of God is that even in the works of the Beach Boys, Beatles, etc., the beauty of the music is a mere reflection of what God does everyday. He creates music of all kinds and moods."

"The awesomeness of God is that even in the works of the Beach Boys, Beatles, etc., the beauty of the music is a mere reflection of what God does everyday. He creates music of all kinds and moods."

John Foster, British Architect

Beauty, Music, God, Beach

32

"Every memorial in its time has a different goal."

"Every memorial in its time has a different goal."

Maya Lin, American Architect

32

"I strive for an architecture from which nothing can be taken away."

"I strive for an architecture from which nothing can be taken away."

Helmut Jahn, German Architect

Architecture, Nothing

32

"Christianity, democracy, science, education, wealth, and the cumulative inheritance of a thousand years, have not preserved us from the vain repetition of history."

"Christianity, democracy, science, education, wealth, and the cumulative inheritance of a thousand years, have not preserved us from the vain repetition of history."

Ralph A. Cram, American Architect

History, Education, Science, Wealth

32

"When drawings of the main buildings I have designed in the last five years are juxtaposed, the fact that they all involve the pursuit of certain configurations is obvious to anyone."

"When drawings of the main buildings I have designed in the last five years are juxtaposed, the fact that they all involve the pursuit of certain configurations is obvious to anyone."

Yoshio Taniguchi, Japanese Architect

Fact, Obvious, Pursuit, Years

32

"Rationalism is the enemy of art, though necessary as a basis for architecture."

"Rationalism is the enemy of art, though necessary as a basis for architecture."

Arthur Erickson, Canadian Architect

Architecture, Art, Enemy

32

"There are good books and there are bad books, period, that's the distinction."

"There are good books and there are bad books, period, that's the distinction."

Norton Juster, American Architect

32

"Never turn down a job because you think it's too small; you don't know where it can lead."

"Never turn down a job because you think it's too small; you don't know where it can lead."

Julia Morgan, American Architect

32

"And I feel that we in our society should not be held by any such myth; that we should do everything we can to gain a delight and joy in our society with all the available parts of the palette."

"And I feel that we in our society should not be held by any such myth; that we should do everything we can to gain a delight and joy in our society with all the available parts of the palette."

Minoru Yamasaki, American Architect

Society, Delight, Gain, Joy

32

"The thickness of the walls should be sufficient for two armed men to pass each other with ease."

"The thickness of the walls should be sufficient for two armed men to pass each other with ease."

Marcus V. Pollio, American Architect

32

"I suppose and I hope that the young guys who are out there losing their lives at least feel the same way I did. I shouldn't think about this very much because I'm almost weeping when I think about it."

"I suppose and I hope that the young guys who are out there losing their lives at least feel the same way I did. I shouldn't think about this very much because I'm almost weeping when I think about it."

Lawrence Halprin, American Architect

Hope, Losing, Weeping

32

"If you examine this, I think that you will find that it's the mechanics of Japanese architecture that have been thought of as the direct influence upon our architecture."

"If you examine this, I think that you will find that it's the mechanics of Japanese architecture that have been thought of as the direct influence upon our architecture."

Minoru Yamasaki, American Architect

Architecture, Thought, Influence, Will

32

"All I know is that these two gases both had a quite extraordinary effect, and that there was no respirator, and no protection against them that we knew of. So the soldiers would have been unable to protect themselves against this gas in any way."

"All I know is that these two gases both had a quite extraordinary effect, and that there was no respirator, and no protection against them that we knew of. So the soldiers would have been unable to protect themselves against this gas in any way."

Albert Speer, German Architect

Effect, Protection, Soldiers

32

"We are creating a unique experience. It's starts with how you see the building from a distance."

"We are creating a unique experience. It's starts with how you see the building from a distance."

Helmut Jahn, German Architect

Experience, Building

32

"Building art is a synthesis of life in materialised form. We should try to bring in under the same hat not a splintered way of thinking, but all in harmony together."

"Building art is a synthesis of life in materialised form. We should try to bring in under the same hat not a splintered way of thinking, but all in harmony together."

Alvar Aalto, Finnish Architect

Art, Life, Building, Harmony

32

"Western history has been a history of deed done, actions performed and results achieved."

"Western history has been a history of deed done, actions performed and results achieved."

Arthur Erickson, Canadian Architect

History, Actions, Deed, Results

32

"My passion and great enjoyment for architecture, and the reason the older I get the more I enjoy it, is because I believe we - architects - can effect the quality of life of the people."

"My passion and great enjoyment for architecture, and the reason the older I get the more I enjoy it, is because I believe we - architects - can effect the quality of life of the people."

Richard Rogers, British Architect

Life, Architecture, Quality, People

32

"We will work with everybody for the good of New York."

"We will work with everybody for the good of New York."

Daniel Libeskind, Polish Architect

32

"You don't know what the Chinese expect in the way of beauty. The presentation is just a farce. You come into a room filled with 50 people and they don't talk to you. There's very little interaction."

"You don't know what the Chinese expect in the way of beauty. The presentation is just a farce. You come into a room filled with 50 people and they don't talk to you. There's very little interaction."

Helmut Jahn, German Architect

Beauty, People, Talk

32

"When shopping was still connected to the street it was also an intensification and articulation of the street. Now it has become utterly independent - contained, controlled, surveyed."

"When shopping was still connected to the street it was also an intensification and articulation of the street. Now it has become utterly independent - contained, controlled, surveyed."

Rem Koolhaas, Dutch Architect

32

"Fifty years ago people were talking about Sydney's sprawl, but nobody does anything about it."

"Fifty years ago people were talking about Sydney's sprawl, but nobody does anything about it."

Harry Seidler, Australian Architect

People, Talking, Years

32

"When I was very little, we would get letters from China, in Chinese, and they' be censored. We were a very insular little family."

"When I was very little, we would get letters from China, in Chinese, and they' be censored. We were a very insular little family."

Maya Lin, American Architect

Family, Letters

32

"I went through withdrawal when I got out of graduate school. It's what you learn, what you think. That's all that counts."

"I went through withdrawal when I got out of graduate school. It's what you learn, what you think. That's all that counts."

Maya Lin, American Architect

32

"I have no philosophy, my favourite thing is sitting in the studio."

"I have no philosophy, my favourite thing is sitting in the studio."

Arne Jacobsen, Danish Architect

32

"You will soon find that I am a bit obsessive about my work. And that is a little sad, one often feels strangely restricted, not finding time to simmer, although one actually has many interests."

"You will soon find that I am a bit obsessive about my work. And that is a little sad, one often feels strangely restricted, not finding time to simmer, although one actually has many interests."

Arne Jacobsen, Danish Architect

Time, Work, Will

32

"A building is hard to judge. It takes many years to find out whether it works. It's not as simple as asking the people in the office whether they like it."

"A building is hard to judge. It takes many years to find out whether it works. It's not as simple as asking the people in the office whether they like it."

Helmut Jahn, German Architect

People, Building, Office, Years

32

"The war, as I felt it and a lot of my compatriots felt it, was a creative act."

"The war, as I felt it and a lot of my compatriots felt it, was a creative act."

Lawrence Halprin, American Architect

32

"It's too simplistic to advance the notion of the autonomy of art as a reason for turning away from the public. You can have autonomy and simultaneously have connections with the social and political world."

"It's too simplistic to advance the notion of the autonomy of art as a reason for turning away from the public. You can have autonomy and simultaneously have connections with the social and political world."

Thom Mayne, American Architect

Art, Public, Reason, World

32

"A good book written for children can be read by adults."

"A good book written for children can be read by adults."

Norton Juster, American Architect

32

"And I think one of the tasks that I always feel is how to get that vision out of them. Not exactly what they want, but what they want to accomplish for themselves or their community or their family."

"And I think one of the tasks that I always feel is how to get that vision out of them. Not exactly what they want, but what they want to accomplish for themselves or their community or their family."

Lawrence Halprin, American Architect

Family, Vision, Community, Want

31

"We regard those other cultures, such as that of India, where many people live and believe and behave much as they did 1,000 or 2,000 years ago, as undeveloped."

"We regard those other cultures, such as that of India, where many people live and believe and behave much as they did 1,000 or 2,000 years ago, as undeveloped."

Arthur Erickson, Canadian Architect

31

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