"To provide meaningful architecture is not to parody history but to articulate it"
- Daniel Libeskind
About this Quote
This quote by Daniel Libeskind speaks to the value of understanding and appreciating history when producing significant architecture. He suggests that architecture ought to not be a parody of history, however rather an expression of it. This indicates that architecture needs to be a reflection of the past, while likewise relating to today. By understanding and appreciating the history of a place, designers can create meaningful architecture that talks to the past, present, and future. This quote encourages designers to believe seriously about the history of a place and to utilize that understanding to create architecture that is both meaningful and relevant. By doing so, designers can produce architecture that is both aesthetically pleasing and meaningful to the people who occupy it.
"A lawyer without history or literature is a mechanic, a mere working mason; if he possesses some knowledge of these, he may venture to call himself an architect"
"We have our own history, our own language, our own culture. But our destiny is also tied up with the destinies of other people - history has made us all South Africans"
"It is humiliating to remain with our hands folded while others write history. It matters little who wins. To make a people great it is necessary to send them to battle even if you have to kick them in the pants. That is what I shall do"
