We should attempt to bring nature, houses, and human beings together in a higher unity.
Ludwig Mies Van Der RoheRead
I don't want to be interesting. I want to be good.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote emphasizes the value of quality and substance over superficial appeal.
Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe, a pioneer of modern architecture, suggests that true merit lies in being good at what one does rather than merely seeking attention or fascination. The essence of this statement highlights the importance of skill, integrity, and authenticity in oneβs work, advocating for a focus on excellence instead of the pursuit of 'interesting' or trendy features.
Themes
QualityExcellenceSimplicityIntegrityAuthenticity
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about design philosophy.
More from Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe
All quotes βArchitecture depends on facts, but its real field of activity lies in the realm of the significance.
Ludwig Mies Van Der RoheRead
The demands of the time for objectivity and functionality must be fulfilled. If that clearly happens, then the buildings of our day will convey the greatness of which the age is capable, and only a fool will maintain that they lack it.
Ludwig Mies Van Der RoheRead
I think that an industrial process is not like a rubber stamp. Everything has to be put together and, as such, should have its own expression.
Ludwig Mies Van Der RoheRead
Reinforced concrete buildings are by nature skeletal buildings. No noodles nor armoured turrets. A construction of girders that carry the weight, and walls that carry no weight. That is to say, buildings consisting of skin and bones.
Ludwig Mies Van Der RoheRead
Modern buildings of our time are so huge that one must group them. Often the space between these buildings is as important as the buildings themselves.
Ludwig Mies Van Der RoheRead
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