We should attempt to bring nature, houses, and human beings together in a higher unity.
Ludwig Mies Van Der RoheRead
Our utilitarian structures will mature into architecture only when, through their fulfillment of function, they become carriers of the will of the age.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Architecture transcends mere function when it embodies the spirit of contemporary society.
This quote by Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe suggests that the true value of architecture lies not just in its functionality but in its ability to reflect the values, aspirations, and identity of the time in which it is built. As structures evolve from mere utilitarian function to art, they become significant cultural landmarks that resonate with the spirit of their era.
Themes
ArchitectureFunctionSocietyDesignCulture
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a lecture about modern architecture to illustrate the importance of context in design.
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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