Minoru Yamasaki quotes

Minoru Yamasaki was an influential American architect, best known for designing the original World Trade Center in New York City. His work is recognized for its elegant use of modernist and ornamental elements. He left a lasting legacy through iconic structures that shaped urban landscapes worldwide. Here are 31 of his quotes:

I feel this is very important for us to have serene buildings because our civilization is chaotic as it is, you see; our whole machine age has brought about a chaos that has to be somehow counterbalanced, I think. (Minoru Yamasaki)

The World Trade Center is a living symbol of man's dedication to world peace... a representation of man's belief in humanity, his need for individual dignity, his beliefs in the cooperation of men, and, through cooperation, his ability to find greatness.

Minoru Yamasaki

I have been criticized rather strenuously by painters and sculptors for not incorporating their work in our buildings.

Minoru Yamasaki

I can't do everything obviously although sometimes I know that all of us wish that we could.

Minoru Yamasaki

In other words, each piece of the building must look as though it was designed for that particular building.

Minoru Yamasaki

We build buildings which are terribly restless. And buildings don't go anywhere. They shouldn't be restless.

Minoru Yamasaki

And sometimes I'm criticized. But I think that if those who criticize us will look at the reason why the shape is this, well then, I think that they would not object so strenuously.

Minoru Yamasaki

The Wayne Education Building was the first classroom building that we have done on the Wayne campus.

Minoru Yamasaki

And a building must be like a human being. It must have a wholeness about it, something that is very important.

Minoru Yamasaki

And I think that the environment is one very strong way to counterbalance the chaotic nature of our life.

Minoru Yamasaki

I believe that we must understand the economy of the situation. (Minoru Yamasaki)

Because, if we understand how a building is to be produced and we find a way that it can be more simply produced, then obviously we are contributing to building better buildings more easily.

Minoru Yamasaki

And I feel that we in our society should not be held by any such myth; that we should do everything we can to gain a delight and joy in our society with all the available parts of the palette.

Minoru Yamasaki

If you have white walls, human beings look better in a room than if you have red walls.

Minoru Yamasaki

If you look at the buildings, you'll find that one part looks as if it was designed by one man, and you go around and look at another facade and it looks as if it was designed by another man, you see.

Minoru Yamasaki

If you examine this, I think that you will find that it's the mechanics of Japanese architecture that have been thought of as the direct influence upon our architecture.

Minoru Yamasaki

Being the gateway to a large city, St. Louis, I had felt from the very beginning that somehow this building should symbolize this sense of being a gateway.

Minoru Yamasaki

And I like the idea of change. Because I don't see why we should hang a painting on the wall and then just not think of it anymore because it's there like a piece of furniture.

Minoru Yamasaki

So what we have tried to do in our later buildings is to try to be completely consistent, as a painter is consistent or as a sculptor is consistent. Architecture also must be very consistent.

Minoru Yamasaki

In other words, I have no truck for anyone who goes out and does an eclectic building.

Minoru Yamasaki

In this tour around the world I was not interested in contemporary buildings because I had seen contemporary buildings actually until they came out of my ears in a sense. (Minoru Yamasaki)

And exciting buildings are fine periodically.

Minoru Yamasaki

But now I know that it is very important that all buildings should be consistent, that this is the quality of the Gothic cathedral, for instance, that we like.

Minoru Yamasaki

I want to do very useful buildings and I would like to find a method of producing these buildings through our technology because I think that this is the only way that we will gain wonderful environment easily in the future.

Minoru Yamasaki

The purpose of architecture is to create an atmosphere in which man can live, work, and enjoy.

Minoru Yamasaki

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Minoru Yamasaki

Minoru Yamasaki - Image

Photo: Seattle Municipal Archives, CC BY 2.0

Occupation: American Architect
Born: December 1, 1912
Died: February 6, 1986
Quotes count: 31

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