Thom Mayne Quotes

A collection of quotes by Thom Mayne.

Thom Mayne is an internationally acclaimed American architect, noted for his avant-garde designs and innovative approach to architecture. Born on January 19, 1944, in Waterbury, Connecticut, Mayne graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Southern California (USC) and later earned his master's degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Design.

In 1972, Mayne co-founded the architectural firm Morphosis in Santa Monica, California, where he still serves as the principal architect. Over the years, he has gained widespread recognition for his bold and expressive designs that incorporate sustainable principles and emphasize functionality.

Mayne's notable projects include the Perot Museum of Nature and Science in Dallas, Texas, the Cooper Union Building in New York City, and the Caltrans District 7 Headquarters in Los Angeles. His designs often challenge conventional architectural norms, offering visually striking and unconventional solutions that respond to the social, cultural, and environmental contexts of each project.

Throughout his career, Mayne has been honored with numerous awards, including the prestigious Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2005, which recognizes significant achievements in the field of architecture. He has also taught and lectured at various universities, including UCLA, USC, and the University of Toronto, sharing his knowledge and passion for architecture with aspiring designers.

Thom Mayne's groundbreaking work continues to inspire and shape the world of contemporary architecture, pushing boundaries and redefining the relationship between buildings, the environment, and the human experience.

You might say that when you step inside, you're entering a h

You might say that when you step inside, you're entering a honorific space, but that's something totally different than experiencing it. And in architecture the experience comes first. That has the deepest effect on us.

Thom Mayne

Architecture

The huge problem in our society is the enormous ignorance of

The huge problem in our society is the enormous ignorance of the ideas that underlie modern art.

Thom Mayne

Society

Architecture is involved with the world, but at the same tim

Architecture is involved with the world, but at the same time it has a certain autonomy. This autonomy cannot be explained in terms of traditional logic because the most interesting parts of the work are non-verbal. They operate within the terms of the work, like any art.

Thom Mayne

Architecture

The aesthetic of architecture has to be rooted in a broader

The aesthetic of architecture has to be rooted in a broader idea about human activities like walking, relaxing and communicating. Architecture thinks about how these activities can be given added value.

Thom Mayne

Architecture

So at a time in which the media give the public everything i

So at a time in which the media give the public everything it wants and desires, maybe art should adopt a much more aggressive attitude towards the public. I myself am very much inclined to take this position.

Thom Mayne

Attitude

My buildings don't speak in words but by means of their own

My buildings don't speak in words but by means of their own spaciousness.

Thom Mayne

Architecture

But I absolutely believe that architecture is a social activ

But I absolutely believe that architecture is a social activity that has to do with some sort of communication or places of interaction, and that to change the environment is to change behaviour.

Thom Mayne

Architecture

I'm often called an old-fashioned modernist. But the moderni

I'm often called an old-fashioned modernist. But the modernists had the absurd idea that architecture could heal the world. That's impossible. And today nobody expects architects to have these grand visions any more.

Thom Mayne

Architecture