The first principle of architectural beauty is that the essential lines of a construction be determined by a perfect appropriateness to its use.
Gustave EiffelRead
Can one think that because we are engineers, beauty does not preoccupy us or that we do not try to build beautiful, as well as solid and long lasting structures? Aren't the genuine functions of strength always in keeping with unwritten conditions of harmony? ... Besides, there is an attraction, a special charm in the colossal to which ordinary theories of art do not apply.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Eiffel emphasizes that engineering is not just about functionality but also about creating beauty and harmony in structures.
In this quote, Gustave Eiffel highlights the symbiotic relationship between engineering and art. He argues that engineers are not solely focused on the technical aspects of their work but also strive to create aesthetically pleasing structures. Eiffel believes that true strength in engineering aligns with principles of beauty and harmony, suggesting that the most enduring structures are those that resonate with both function and artistry. He also acknowledges the unique appeal of monumental works that transcend conventional artistic theories.
Themes
EngineeringBeautyArtHarmonyDesign
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be shared at an engineering conference to highlight the importance of aesthetics in design.
More from Gustave Eiffel
All quotes →Ah, bien je prétends que les courbes des quatre areêtes du monument, telles que le calcul les a fournies, donneront une grand impression de force et de beauté._x000D_ _x000D_ Well, I think the curves of the four pillars of the monument, as the calculations have provided them, give it a great sense of force and beauty.
Gustave EiffelRead
It seems to me that it had no other rationale than to show that we are not simply the country of entertainers, but also that of engineers and builders called from across the world to build bridges, viaducts, stations and major monuments of modern industry, the Eiffel Tower deserves to be treated with consideration.
Gustave EiffelRead
Similar quotes
To exaggerate the fairness of hair, I come even to orange tones, chromes and pale yellow ... I make a plain background of the richest, intensest blue that I can contrive, and by this simple combination of the bright head against the rich blue background, I get a mysterious effect, like a star in the depths of an azure sky.
Vincent Van GoghRead
I want to tell stories that are true and that resonate and move people, that highlight both the tremendous beauty and ugliness available in the human experience.
Maya HawkeRead
In my naïvety, I thought people who were in rock 'n' roll bands were great artists, and it was a huge shock to the system to realise that they weren't, that they didn't even aspire to be, really. Some of them did, maybe, but some of them, like Samson, were very frightened of the idea.
Bruce DickinsonRead
Mystery is an intellectual process... But suspense is essentially an emotional process.
Alfred HitchcockRead
Anxious, inexperienced writers obey rules. Rebellious, unschooled writers break rules. Artists master the form.
Robert MckeeRead
Drawing is a way of coming upon the connection between things, just like metaphor in poetry reconnects what has become separated.
John BergerRead