"The good building is not one that hurts the landscape, but one which makes the landscape more beautiful than it was before the building was built."
Architect
Frank Lloyd Wright was an influential American architect known for his innovative designs and philosophy of organic architecture, exemplified in works like Fallingwater.
About Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright, a pivotal figure in American architecture, is renowned for his revolutionary approach to design, particularly his concept of organic architecture. His work, such as Fallingwater, exemplifies his belief that buildings should harmonize with their natural surroundings, creating a seamless relationship between the structure and the environment. Wright famously stated, 'Form follows function,' a principle that underscores his commitment to practicality and aesthetic unity in architecture. His philosophy extended beyond mere construction; it encompassed a vision of how architecture could enhance human experience and interaction with nature. By advocating for designs that reflect the landscape and using natural materials, Wright challenged the conventions of his time, pushing for a more integrated and holistic approach to building. Today, Wright's ideas remain relevant as they resonate with contemporary discussions on sustainability and environmental design. His quotes and principles continue to inspire architects and designers, encouraging them to create spaces that are not only functional but also beautiful and in tune with the world around us.
Quote collection
216 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"The good building is not one that hurts the landscape, but one which makes the landscape more beautiful than it was before the building was built."
"Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you."
"We create our buildings and then they create us. Likewise, we construct our circle of friends and our communities and then they construct us."
"Form follows function - that has been misunderstood. Form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union."
"I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen."
"You have to go wholeheartedly into anything in order to achieve anything worth having."
"The longer I live the more beautiful life becomes. If you foolishly ignore beauty, you will soon find yourself without it. Your life will be impoverished. But if you invest in beauty, it will remain with you all the days of your life."
"A building should appear to grow easily from its site and be shaped to harmonize with its surroundings if Nature is manifest there."
"You can use an eraser on the drafting table or a sledge hammer on the construction site."
"We should learn from the snail: it has devised a home that is both exquisite and functional."
"No house should ever be on a hill or on anything. It should be of the hill. Belonging to it. Hill and house should live together each the happier for the other."
"Architecture is life, or at least it is life itself taking form and therefore it is the truest record of life as it was lived in the world yesterday, as it is lived today or ever will be lived."
"Simplicity and Repose are qualities that measure the true value of any work of art."
"I believe in God, only I spell it Nature."
"The mother art is architecture. Without an architecture of our own we have no soul of our own civilization."
"Art is a discovery and development of elementary principles of nature into beautiful forms suitable for human use."
"When we come to understand architecture as the essential nature of all harmonious structure we will see that it is the architecture of music that inspired Bach and Beethoven, the architecture of painting that is inspiring Picasso as it inspired Velasquez, that it is the architecture of life itself that is the inspiration of the great poets and philosophers."
"Early in life, I had to choose between honest arrogance and hypocritical humility. I chose honest arrogance and have seen no occasion to change"
"A great architect is not made by way of a brain nearly so much as he is made by way of a cultivated, enriched heart."
"Organic architecture seeks superior sense of use and a finer sense of comfort, expressed in organic simplicity."