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I think architecture becomes interesting when it has a double character, that is, when it is as simple as possible but, at the same time as complex as possible
Tadao Ando
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Architecture is intriguing when it balances simplicity and complexity.

Tadao Ando's quote suggests that the most compelling architecture embodies a duality of simplicity and complexity. It implies that true artistry lies in the ability to create structures that are not only straightforward and functional but also rich in depth and intricate details, engaging the viewer on multiple levels.

Themes

ArchitectureSimplicityComplexityDesignArt

In practice

Example use cases

This quote is perfect for a presentation on modern architectural design.

More from Tadao Ando

I create enclosed spaces mainly by means of thick concrete walls. The primary reason is to create a place for the individual, a zone for oneself within society. When the external factors of a city's environment require the wall to be without openings, the interior must be especially full and satisfying.
Tadao AndoRead
I believe that architecture is fundamentally a public space where people can gather and communicate, think about the history, think about the lives of human beings, or the world.
Tadao AndoRead
All architecture has a public nature, I believe, so I would like to make a public space.
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I like ruins because what remains is not the total design, but the clarity of thought, the naked structure, the spirit of the thing.
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In the West there has always been the attempt to try make the religious building, whether it's a Medieval or Renaissance church, an eternal object for the celebration of God. The material chosen, such as stone, brick, or concrete, is meant to eternally preserve what is inside.
Tadao AndoRead
When you look at Japanese traditional architecture, you have to look at Japanese culture and its relationship with nature. You can actually live in a harmonious, close contact with nature - this very unique to Japan.
Tadao AndoRead

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