Look, architecture has a lot of places to hide behind, a lot of excuses. "The client made me do this." "The city made me do this." "Oh, the budget." I don't believe that anymore.
Frank GehryRead
An architect is given a program, budget, place, and schedule. Sometimes the end product rises to art - or at least people call it that.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Architecture has the potential to be considered art when it fulfills certain criteria beyond functionality.
Frank Gehry's quote reflects the journey of an architect who works within defined constraints—such as program requirements, budget, location, and timeline. Despite these limitations, the architect's creative vision can lead to a final product that transcends mere functionality and is recognized as art, illustrating the potential beauty and emotional resonance of architectural design.
Themes
ArchitectureArtCreativityDesignInspiration
In practice
Example use cases
During a public lecture on creative processes in architecture.
More from Frank Gehry
All quotes →Your best work is your expression of yourself.
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My only extravagance in life is my sailboat. I'm bonkers about that, but other than that, I don't spend money on myself.
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For me, every day is a new thing. I approach each project with a new insecurity, almost like the first project I ever did. And I get the sweats. I go in and start working, I'm not sure where I'm going. If I knew where I was going I wouldn't do it.
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Liquid architecture. It's like jazz - you improvise, you work together, you play off each other, you make something, they make something. And I think it's a way of - for me, it's a way of trying to understand the city, and what might happen in the city.
Frank GehryRead
I don't know why people hire architects and then tell them what to do.
Frank GehryRead
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