1028 quotes by architects for you to enjoy

In the '60s when I was a student, there was this campaign to destroy 75 percent of the old buildings in Paris, replacing them with modern architecture. I realized this as a dangerous utopia. This modern vision did not understand the richness of the city. Thankfully, such destruction did not happen. Christian de Portzamparc

I believe that all centers that appear in space - whether they originate in biology, in physical forces, in pure geometry, in color - are alike simply in that they all animate space. It is this animated space that has its functional effect upon the world, that determines the way things work, that governs the presence of harmony and life. Christopher Alexander

Life Work World Space Pure Believe Biology Harmony Way Alike Physical Determines Color Animate Animated Simply Forces Geometry Effect Governs Whether Centers Appear Functional Originate Things Presence

Complexity is one of the great problems in environmental design. Christopher Alexander

Environmental Great Problems Design Complexity

It is not possible to make great buildings, or great towns, beautiful places, places where you feel yourself, places where you feel alive, except by following this way. And, as you will see, this way will lead anyone who looks for it to buildings which are themselves as ancient in their form, as the trees and hills, and as our faces are. Christopher Alexander

Beautiful Great You Yourself Will Trees Our Way Alive Ancient Possible See Following Faces Except Lead Feel Towns Beautiful Places Hills Looks Make Buildings Where Anyone Form Which Places Themselves Who

There is one timeless way of building. It is a thousand years old, and the same today as it has ever been. The great traditional buildings of the past, the villages and tents and temples in which man feels at home, have always been made by people who were very close to the center of this way. Christopher Alexander

Today Home Great Man People Old Made Building Past Way Thousand Thousand Years Temples Feels Buildings Always Traditional Were Been Years Timeless Very Close Same Center Which Who Villages Ever

When you make something, cleaning it out of structural debris is one of the most vital things you do. Christopher Alexander

You Cleaning Out Vital Something Structural Most Make Debris Things

In short, no pattern is an isolated entity. Each pattern can exist in the world only to the extent that is supported by other patterns: the larger patterns in which it is embedded, the patterns of the same size that surround it, and the smaller patterns which are embedded in it. Christopher Alexander

World Other Embedded Only Entity Smaller Supported Isolated Exist Surround Same Short Size Which Pattern Patterns Each Larger Extent

Images in the 20th century had a unique power where image became divorced from reality, and often more important than reality... Buildings were judged - at least by members of our own profession - more by the way they looked in magazines than by the satisfaction people felt when using them. Christopher Alexander

Reality People Power Important Own Our Way Members Magazines More Had Divorced Looked Judged Became Felt Buildings Least Were Than Often Where Them Century Profession Unique Using Satisfaction Image Images

To seek the timeless way we must first know the quality without a name. There is a central quality which is the root criterion of life and spirit in a man, a town, a building, or a wilderness. This quality is objective and precise, but it cannot be named. Christopher Alexander

Life Man Quality First Building Wilderness Way Criterion Must Seek Spirit Objective Name Named Town Know Without Timeless Precise Cannot Which Central Root

I mean, making simulations of what you're going to build is tremendously useful if you can get feedback from them that will tell you where you've gone wrong and what you can do about it. Christopher Alexander

You Feedback Will Build Gone Tremendously Tell About Wrong Making Get Going Where Mean Them Useful

Architecture aims at Eternity. Christopher Wren

Architecture Aims Eternity

A small house must depend on its grouping with other houses for its beauty, and for the preservation of light air and the maximum of surrounding open space. Clarence Stein

Light Space Beauty Depend Other Air Must Small Open Open Space House Houses Surrounding Maximum Grouping Preservation

The house itself is of minor importance. Its relation to the community is the thing that really counts. Clarence Stein

Community Relation Minor Counts Importance House Itself Really Thing

It was Chicago with its World's Fair which vivified the national desire for civic beauty. Daniel Burnham

World Beauty National Civic Fair Chicago Which Desire

Remember that our sons and grandsons are going to do things that would stagger us. Daniel Burnham

Remember Our Would Sons Going Stagger Us Things

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

Beautiful Competition Will Become Trees Memorial Something Developed Beautiful Place Protected Because Private Very Place Moving Then Planting Streets Below

And you have to remember that I came to America as an immigrant. You know, on a ship, through the Statue of Liberty. And I saw that skyline, not just as a representation of steel and concrete and glass, but as really the substance of the American Dream. Daniel Libeskind

You Liberty Remember Saw Immigrant Statue Statue Of Liberty Dream Steel Through Glass Know Concrete Came Ship America American Representation Just Substance American Dream Really Skyline

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

Faith Mountains Know Nor Moves Dr

It's about how to bring together the seemingly contradictory aspects of the memorial, which is about a tragedy and how it changed the world, but also about creating a vital and beautiful city of the 21st century. Daniel Libeskind

Beautiful Together World Changed City Memorial Vital About Seemingly Beautiful City Also How Tragedy Contradictory Which Century Creating Aspects Bring

We all came to see that site. We all walked around it. It is already sacred. Daniel Libeskind

See Sacred Around Came Walked Site

Quotes by Architects