Quotes by Architect | Beyond Motive 9/14

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Quotes by Architect

"I'm not Candide, nor Dr Pangloss, but we know that faith moves mountains."

"I'm not Candide, nor Dr Pangloss, but we know that faith moves mountains."

Daniel Libeskind, Polish Architect

Faith, Mountains

42

"When I think of some of my earlier work, it really seems a fortunate coincidence that I succeeded."

"When I think of some of my earlier work, it really seems a fortunate coincidence that I succeeded."

Helmut Jahn, German Architect

42

"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

42

"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

42

"I have no requirements for a style of architecture."

"I have no requirements for a style of architecture."

Michael Graves, American Architect

Architecture, Style

42

"The Renaissance is studded by the names of the artists and architects, with their creations recorded as great historical events."

"The Renaissance is studded by the names of the artists and architects, with their creations recorded as great historical events."

Arthur Erickson, Canadian Architect

Artist, Artists, Events, Names

42

"We have today a fairly thorough knowledge of the early Greco-Roman period because our motivations are the same."

"We have today a fairly thorough knowledge of the early Greco-Roman period because our motivations are the same."

Arthur Erickson, Canadian Architect

Knowledge, Today

42

"No wonder the film industry started in the desert in California where, like all desert dwellers, they dream their buildings, rather than design them."

"No wonder the film industry started in the desert in California where, like all desert dwellers, they dream their buildings, rather than design them."

Arthur Erickson, Canadian Architect

Design, Dream, Film, Wonder

42

"I probably spent the first 20 years of my life wanting to be as American as possible. Through my 20s, and into my 30s, I began to become aware of how so much of my art and architecture has a decidedly Eastern character."

"I probably spent the first 20 years of my life wanting to be as American as possible. Through my 20s, and into my 30s, I began to become aware of how so much of my art and architecture has a decidedly Eastern character."

Maya Lin, American Architect

Architecture, Art, Life, Character

42

"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

42

"Space has always been the spiritual dimension of architecture. It is not the physical statement of the structure so much as what it contains that moves us."

"Space has always been the spiritual dimension of architecture. It is not the physical statement of the structure so much as what it contains that moves us."

Arthur Erickson, Canadian Architect

Architecture, Space, Spiritual

42

"Chinese buildings are like American buildings, with big footprints. People don't care about daylight or fresh air."

"Chinese buildings are like American buildings, with big footprints. People don't care about daylight or fresh air."

Helmut Jahn, German Architect

People, American, Care

42

"This is a pivotal time for urban regeneration. We must take a long term view."

"This is a pivotal time for urban regeneration. We must take a long term view."

Richard Rogers, British Architect

42

"Being the gateway to a large city, St. Louis, I had felt from the very beginning that somehow this building should symbolize this sense of being a gateway."

"Being the gateway to a large city, St. Louis, I had felt from the very beginning that somehow this building should symbolize this sense of being a gateway."

Minoru Yamasaki, American Architect

Beginning, Being, Building, Sense

42

"Architecture is the art of how to waste space."

"Architecture is the art of how to waste space."

Philip Johnson, American Architect

Architecture, Art, Space, Waste

42

"Nothing is as dangerous in architecture as dealing with separated problems. If we split life into separated problems we split the possibilities to make good building art."

"Nothing is as dangerous in architecture as dealing with separated problems. If we split life into separated problems we split the possibilities to make good building art."

Alvar Aalto, Finnish Architect

Architecture, Art, Life, Building

42

"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

41

"Growing up, I thought I was white. It didn't occur to me I was Asian-American until I was studying abroad in Denmark and there was a little bit of prejudice."

"Growing up, I thought I was white. It didn't occur to me I was Asian-American until I was studying abroad in Denmark and there was a little bit of prejudice."

Maya Lin, American Architect

Thought, Denmark, Growing up, Prejudice

41

"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

41

"All my work is much more peaceful than I am."

"All my work is much more peaceful than I am."

Maya Lin, American Architect

41

"Beauty: the adjustment of all parts proportionately so that one cannot add or subtract or change without impairing the harmony of the whole."

"Beauty: the adjustment of all parts proportionately so that one cannot add or subtract or change without impairing the harmony of the whole."

Leon Battista Alberti, Italian Architect

Change, Harmony

41

"I believe in God, only I spell it Nature."

"I believe in God, only I spell it Nature."

Frank Lloyd Wright, American Architect

41

"My grandfather, on my father's side, helped to draft one of the first constitutions of China. He was a fairly well-known scholar."

"My grandfather, on my father's side, helped to draft one of the first constitutions of China. He was a fairly well-known scholar."

Maya Lin, American Architect

Father, Draft, First

41

"Space is the breath of art."

"Space is the breath of art."

Frank Lloyd Wright, American Architect

41

"The garden, by design, is concerned with both the interior and the land beyond the garden."

"The garden, by design, is concerned with both the interior and the land beyond the garden."

Stephen Gardiner, British Architect

Design, Garden, Land

41

"Math, it's a puzzle to me. I love figuring out puzzles."

"Math, it's a puzzle to me. I love figuring out puzzles."

Maya Lin, American Architect

41

"The innovative spirit was America's strongest attribute, transforming everything into a brave new world, but there lingered an insecurity about the arts."

"The innovative spirit was America's strongest attribute, transforming everything into a brave new world, but there lingered an insecurity about the arts."

Arthur Erickson, Canadian Architect

America, Insecurity, Spirit, World

41

"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

41

"Since, therefore, individuals as well as the public are so indebted to these writers for the benefits they enjoy, I think them not only entitled to the honour of palms and crowns, but even to be numbered among the gods."

"Since, therefore, individuals as well as the public are so indebted to these writers for the benefits they enjoy, I think them not only entitled to the honour of palms and crowns, but even to be numbered among the gods."

Marcus V. Pollio, American Architect

God, Gods, Benefits, Public, Writers

41

"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

41

"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

41

"When I was building the Vietnam Memorial, I never once asked the veterans what it was like in the war, because from my point of view, you don't pry into other people's business."

"When I was building the Vietnam Memorial, I never once asked the veterans what it was like in the war, because from my point of view, you don't pry into other people's business."

Maya Lin, American Architect

Business, War, People, Building

41

"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

41

"The foreign press seems obsessed with the Freedom Tower, as if it was the only thing going on here. In fact, we're trying to keep a huge juggling act in balance, with the tower as just one of the many balls in play."

"The foreign press seems obsessed with the Freedom Tower, as if it was the only thing going on here. In fact, we're trying to keep a huge juggling act in balance, with the tower as just one of the many balls in play."

Daniel Libeskind, Polish Architect

Act, Balance, Fact, Freedom

41

"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

41

"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

41

"Only when inspired to go beyond consciousness by some extraordinary insight does beauty manifest unexpectedly."

"Only when inspired to go beyond consciousness by some extraordinary insight does beauty manifest unexpectedly."

Arthur Erickson, Canadian Architect

Beauty, Consciousness

41

"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

41

"There will be a competition for the memorial. And then it can be developed with trees, with planting. It can become a very beautiful place protected from the streets, because it is below. And it can be something very moving and very private."

"There will be a competition for the memorial. And then it can be developed with trees, with planting. It can become a very beautiful place protected from the streets, because it is below. And it can be something very moving and very private."

Daniel Libeskind, Polish Architect

Competition, Trees, Will

41

"God's designs may be frequent justification for our actions, but it is we, the self-made men, who take the credit."

"God's designs may be frequent justification for our actions, but it is we, the self-made men, who take the credit."

Arthur Erickson, Canadian Architect

God, Men, Actions, Credit

41

"My parents are both college professors, and it made me want to question authority, standards and traditions."

"My parents are both college professors, and it made me want to question authority, standards and traditions."

Maya Lin, American Architect

Authority, College, Parents, Question

41

"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

41

"A hundred times have I thought New York is a catastrophe and 50 times: It is a beautiful catastrophe."

"A hundred times have I thought New York is a catastrophe and 50 times: It is a beautiful catastrophe."

Le Corbusier, Swiss Architect

40

"When we dream alone it is only a dream, but when many dream together it is the beginning of a new reality."

"When we dream alone it is only a dream, but when many dream together it is the beginning of a new reality."

Friedensreich Hundert, Austrian Architect

Dream, Beginning, Reality

40

"Of all the lessons most relevant to architecture today, Japanese flexibility is the greatest."

"Of all the lessons most relevant to architecture today, Japanese flexibility is the greatest."

Stephen Gardiner, British Architect

Architecture, Flexibility, Today

40

"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

40

"I'm just saying that there are high quality materials, and when we change them then there should be a way of changing them so that you can celebrate that change - rather than just 'mix it up'."

"I'm just saying that there are high quality materials, and when we change them then there should be a way of changing them so that you can celebrate that change - rather than just 'mix it up'."

Richard Rogers, British Architect

Change, Quality, Saying

40

"I don't get to sleep when I'm in New York. Really. I'm living on adrenaline."

"I don't get to sleep when I'm in New York. Really. I'm living on adrenaline."

Daniel Libeskind, Polish Architect

40

"And I like the idea of change. Because I don't see why we should hang a painting on the wall and then just not think of it anymore because it's there like a piece of furniture."

"And I like the idea of change. Because I don't see why we should hang a painting on the wall and then just not think of it anymore because it's there like a piece of furniture."

Minoru Yamasaki, American Architect

Change, Idea, Painting

40

"The Wayne Education Building was the first classroom building that we have done on the Wayne campus."

"The Wayne Education Building was the first classroom building that we have done on the Wayne campus."

Minoru Yamasaki, American Architect

Education, Building, Classroom, First

40

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