The difference between a builder and an architect is that an architect also cares about desire, about dreams.
Renzo PianoRead
Cities are beautiful because they are created slowly; they are made by time. A city is born from a tangle of monuments and infrastructures , culture and market, national history and everyday stories. It takes 500 years to create a city, 50 to create a neighborhood.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Cities develop over time, shaped by their history and the stories of their inhabitants.
This quote by Renzo Piano emphasizes the intricate and gradual process of urban development, highlighting that cities are not mere collections of buildings but rather complex entities that evolve through time. Each city is a tapestry woven from its architecture, cultural influences, historical events, and the everyday lives of its people, underscoring the importance of patience and time in creating meaningful urban spaces.
Themes
CitiesUrban DevelopmentHistoryCultureArchitecture
In practice
Example use cases
During a presentation on urban planning, one might quote this to illustrate the importance of historical context in city development.
More from Renzo Piano
All quotes →You have to accept as an architect to be exposed to criticism. Architecture should not rely on full harmony.
Renzo PianoRead
I don't like the idea that the first preparation when you start to design your building has to put your label. I think this is not fair. It's not fair to the building or to the people, to the client, because every building tells a different story.
Renzo PianoRead
There is something about giving everything to your profession. In Italian, an obsession is not necessarily negative. It's the art of putting all your energy into one thing; it's the art of transforming even what you eat for lunch into architecture.
Renzo PianoRead
I came to architecture from building. Because my father was a builder, everybody was - and is - a builder in my family.
Renzo PianoRead
When you design a building, you start from a general philosophy, and you come down, and you start from detail and come up. Only the theoretical architect believes that you can make the concept and then sometime, somebody will come to build it.
Renzo PianoRead
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