ARCHITECT'S DICTUMS

Aalto "Nothing is as dangerous in architecture as dealing with Alvar Aalto

dangerous separated problems. If we split life into separated problem we
split the possibilities to make good building art."
"Form is the mystery that defies description but brings people
pleasure
pleasure."
Ando "I would like my architecture to inspire people to use their own Tadao Ando
inspire
resources, to move into the future."
"Without this spirit, Modernist architecture cannot fully exist.
Since there is often a mismatch between the logic and the spirit
spirit of modernism
of Modernism, I use architecture to reconcile the two."

Athfield cartoon "Cartoon House" Ian Charles Athfield

"In a house, you should get surprised every time you turn a
surprise
corner and look up."
Behrens "Our age has been seized by the haste that leaves no time for Peter Behrens
seized (past)
absorption in details."
Breuer "Nature and architecture are two different things." Marcel Lajos Breuer
nature & architecture
different

social art "Architecture is a social art."

"A building has straight geometrical lines. Even when these lines
are free, it must always be evident that they have been studied
straight geometric
and that they did not spring up simultaneously."

Burnham "Make big plans; aim high in hope and hope and work,
big plan remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will not Daniel Burnham
die."
"Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men's blood."
no little plan

Costa "I am neither a capitalist nor a socialist, I am not a religious or Lucio Costa
capitalist
an atheist."
see whatever wishes to "Each one sees whatever he wishes to see."
see
Foster "As an architect, you design for the present, with an awareness Norman Foster
awareness of past of the past, for a future which is essentially unknown."

Fuller more with less "More with less." Buckminster Fuller

"We called architects of the future not its victims' 'Starting
victims
with holes'."
Gaudi "Straight lines belong to man, curved lines belong to God." Antoni Gaudi
curved lines God

necessarily follows "Form does not necessarily follow function."

Gehry "Look, architecture has a lot of places to hide behind, a lot of Frank Gehry
budget excuses, The client made me do this. The city made me do this.
Oh the budget. I don't believe that anymore."
"Architecture should speak of its time and place, but yearn for
timelessness
timelessness."
child "Design as if you are a child."
Graves "Classical forms language of both the arctuated and trabeated Michael Graves
language
models."
Gray question "To create, one must question everything." Eileen Gray
"A house is not a machine to live in. It is the shell of man, his
house not machine
extension, his release, his spiritual emanation."
Gropius new unity "Art and architecture, the new unity" Walter Gropius
engineering ends "Architecture begins where engineering ends."
"Machine is to be our modern medium of design."
machine modern medium
Hitler same as LMVDR will of "The will of an epoch translated into space." Adolf Hitler
epoch
Jencks post modern "Post-modern architecture focuses on forms derived from the Charles Alexander Jencks
architecture mind, body, and nature."
Johnson waste space "Architecture is the art of how to waste space." Philip Johnson
beyond death "All architects want to live beyond their deaths."
Kahn reching out truth "Architecture is the reaching out for the truth." Louis Kahn
"Every time a student walks past and really urgent, expressive
piece of architecture that belongs to his college, it can help
student
reassure him that he does have that mind, does have that soul."

house is house "A house is a house."

built for art "Architecture built not for need, but for art."
Koolhaas client is chaos "The client is chaos." Rem Koolhaas
"The integration of notion of cheapness to create sublime
notion of cheapness
conditions"
Latrobe "A building is the combination of different geometric figures." Benjamin H. Latrobe
geometric combination

Le Corbusier house machine "The house is a machine for living in." Le Corbusier
revolution "Architecture or revolution"
"The exterior of the building is the result of the interior."
result of interior

cube "A cube within a cube."

"Architecture is the masterly, correct and magnificent play of
masterly play of masses
masses brought together in light."
"Space and light and order. These are the things men need just
space light and order
as much they need bread or place to sleep."
style lie "The styles are a lie."
Loos "Does it follow that the house has nothing in common with art Adolf Loos
and is architecture not to be included in the arts? Only a very
tomb small part of architecture belongs to art: the tomb and the
monument. Everything else that fulfills a function is to be
excluded from the domain of art."
"Ornament is a crime and all ornamentation must be rejected."
ornament

ornament "Ornament equals crime."

lift "Lift the building in the ground."
supply and demand "Supply and demand regulate architecture form."
Mackintosh modern dress "Modern ideas in modern dress." Charles Renee Mackintosh
(CR) living men "Design by living men for living men."
Mailart mushroom Mushroom slab construction Robert Mailart
bridge "A bridge is like a house."
Meier "White is the most wonderful color because within it you can Richard Meier
white
see all the colors of the rainbow."
Mendelsohn "Architecture seizes upon space, encompasses space and is space Erich Mendelsohn
siezes
itself."
"Architecture depends on the sensuous seizure by means of
seizure
touch and sight."
Fluid mass theory
tangible
"Architecture is the only tangible expression of space."
Moura "Drawing architecture is a schizoid act: It involves reducing the
schizoid world into a piece of paper." Eduardo Souto de Moura

Nervi technology + art "Architecture is a synthesis of the technology and art."

"Structural correctness is identical with functional, technical Pierre Luigi Nervi
structural correctness
and economic truthfulness."
Niemeyer liberty of forms "Architecture must have liberty of forms." Oscar Niemeyer
follow beauty "Form follows beauty."
invention "Architecture is invention."
"Architecture will always express the technical and social
progress of the country in which it is carried out. If we wish to
progress of country
give it the human content that it lacks, we must participate in
the political struggle."
Nouvel situation "Each new situation requires a new architecture." Jean Nouvel
gift "I think architecture has to be a gift."
Nuetra flower pat "A house is like a flower pot." Richard Nuetra
material man "Most important material is man."
Pei symbolism "Symbolisms and blasphemies." Ieoh Ming Pei
expression of past "Architecture is the expression of the past."
Perret "Truth is indispensable to architecture and architectural lie Auguste Perret
truth lie
concepts."
Piano "Architects spend an entire life with this unreasonable idea that Renzo Piano
gravity
you can fight against gravity."
Rogers how what "Design is how, form is what." Richard Rogers
Rudolph "Automobile is the most important organizing element in the Paul Rudolph
automobile
structure."
Ruskin "It seems a fantastic paradox, but it is nevertheless a most
imperfect important truth, that no architecture can be truly noble which is John Ruskin
not imperfect."
"It is impossible, as impossible as to raise the dead, to restore
anything that has ever been great or beautiful in architecture.
impossible That which I have insisted upon as the life of the whole, that
spirit which is given only by the hand and eye of the workman,
can never be recalled."
Saarinen "Spiritual function is inseparable from practical function." Eero Saarinen
spiritual function
Eero
influence "Function influence but does not dictate form."
Saarinen "Beauty grows from necessity not from repetition of formulas." Eliel Saarinen
formula
Eliel
equals "Architecture - form equals social - form"
Sullivan identity Building's Identity resided in Ornament Louis Sullivan
folows function "Form follows function."
Tange Modern not western "Modern architecture need not be western." Kenzo Tange
"Architects today tend to depreciate themselves, to regard
reform future themselves as no more than just ordinary citizens without the
power to reform the future."
city renewal "The city must be subject to growth, decay and renewal."
van der Rohe Less is more "Less is more." Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
"Architecture is the will of an epoch translated into space."
will of an epoch

God in details "God is in the details."

better to be good "It is better to be good than to be original."
"Architecture starts when you carefully put two bricks
two bricks
together. There it begins."
Venturi "Form accommodates function." Robert Venturi
accomodates function

bore "Less is bore."

"Unity disguised as chaos-complexity and contradiction are
chaos complexity;
often what make works of art both exciting and profound."
exciting
Vitruvius "Architecture must meet 3 requirements: Strength, Beauty,
USB
and Utilities." Marcus Vitruvius Polio
"Architecture is a science arising out of many other sciences,
arising out of many and adorned with much and varied learning; by the help of which
science a judgment is formed of those works which are the result of
other arts."
Nothing requires the architect's care more than the due
Proportions
proportions of buildings.
Wagner practical beautiful "Nothing that is not practical can be beautiful." Otto Wagner
town in town "A town in a town"
basis of natural form "Essential basis of natural forms as geometries"
Wright "Every great architect is necessarily - a great poet. He must be
poet a great original interpreter of his time, his day, his age." Frank Lloyd Wright

organic "Architecture is organic."

"The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes. If you
foolishly ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it.
invest beauty
Your life will be impoverished. But if you invest in beauty, it will
remain with you all the day of your life."
breadth Space is a breadth of Art
"Think simples as my old master used to say - meaning reduce
think simple the whole of its parts into the simplest terms, getting back to
first principles."
salvation "An idea is salvation by imagination."
form and function are "Form and function are one."
one
"The reality of a building is not the container but the space
reality of a building
within."
"The architect is a molder of men, whether or not he consciously
molder
assumes responsibility."
"Nature spelled with a capital N the way you spell God with a
Capital N
capital G."
"Organic architecture: all parts are related to the whole as the
organic whole was related to the parts; continuity and integrity."

Yamasaki humanism "Humanism" Minoru Yamasaki