--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A building is no good if someone's got to…" description: "\"A building is no good if someone's got to explain to you why it's good. You can't say you don't know enough about architecture - that's ridiculous. It'..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40f/david-chipperfield-22218_architecture_a-building-is-no-good-if-someone-s-got-t_2331315.jpg" --- # A building is no good if someone's got to explain to you… ![“A building is no good if someone's got to explain to you why it's good. You can't say you don't know enough about architecture - that's ridiculous. It's got to work on many levels.” quote by David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40f/david-chipperfield-22218_architecture_a-building-is-no-good-if-someone-s-got-t_2331315.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40f/david-chipperfield-22218_architecture_a-building-is-no-good-if-someone-s-got-t_2331315.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40f/david-chipperfield-22218_architecture_a-building-is-no-good-if-someone-s-got-t_2331315.jpg) > “A building is no good if someone's got to explain to you why it's good. You can't say you don't know enough about architecture - that's ridiculous. It's got to work on many levels.” [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A building must be understandable and functional without needing elaborate justification; its design should communicate its purpose intuitively. **In simple terms:** Buildings should work and feel right without explanation. Key Takeaway Design for clarity and multi‑level experience. Themes architecture design communication Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type practical inspirational When to use this quote - public spaces - residential projects - museum design - urban planning Key Concepts user experience spatial hierarchy functional aesthetics Questions to Reflect On - What makes a space feel welcoming? - How can design convey meaning without words? A Different Perspective Complex designs may alienate users if not intuitive. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Architecture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architecture/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/work/) ## Related quotes > [The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stanley-kubrick/the-test-of-a-work-of-art-is-in-the-end-our-affection-for-it-not-our/) [Stanley Kubrick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stanley-kubrick/) > [I think, you know, architecture should not just be something that follows up on events but be a leader of events ... by implementing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lebbeus-woods/i-think-you-know-architecture-should-not-just-be-something-that/) [Lebbeus Woods](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lebbeus-woods/) > [In design I look for something I'm drawn to. I try to look for an immediate connection with something - something I just fall…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/reed-krakoff/in-design-i-look-for-something-i-m-drawn-to-i-try-to-look-for-an/) [Reed Krakoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/reed-krakoff/) > [I don't know how to explain it, but I have good style, good wrestling.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jan-blachowicz/i-don-t-know-how-to-explain-it-but-i-have-good-style-good-wrestling/) [Jan Blachowicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jan-blachowicz/) > [I didnt know what architecture was except that I lived in a house. I dont even think that I knew the word for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-predock/i-didnt-know-what-architecture-was-except-that-i-lived-in-a-house-i/) [Antoine Predock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-predock/) > [I didn't know what architecture was except that I lived in a house. I don't even think that I knew the word for a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/antoine-predock/i-didn-t-know-what-architecture-was-except-that-i-lived-in-a-house-i/) [Antoine Predock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/antoine-predock/) > [When I started university, I didn't know much about architecture, so I flipped through a lot of magazines, looking at different and exciting images…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-yansong/when-i-started-university-i-didn-t-know-much-about-architecture-so-i/) [Ma Yansong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-yansong/) > [Now, of course, architecture is a blind spot of our life in America today. How many millions of students go to the university to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/now-of-course-architecture-is-a-blind-spot-of-our-life-in-america/) [Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/) > [A good teacher is one who can understand those who are not very good at explaining, and explain to those who are not very…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwight-d-eisenhower/a-good-teacher-is-one-who-can-understand-those-who-are-not-very-good/) [Dwight D. Eisenhower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwight-d-eisenhower/) > [“Terrible things happen in the world, and they’re things no one can explain. Good people die in bad, painful ways and leave the folks…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/terrible-things-happen-in-the-world-and-they-re-things-no-one-can/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When a building is as good as that one, f#\*@ the art.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-johnson/when-a-building-is-as-good-as-that-one-f-the-art/) [Philip Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-johnson/) > [I enjoy building something good and having a successful product and making money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-huizenga/i-enjoy-building-something-good-and-having-a-successful-product-and/) [Wayne Huizenga](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-huizenga/) > [There is a great satisfaction in building good tools for other people to use.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/freeman-dyson/there-is-a-great-satisfaction-in-building-good-tools-for-other-people/) [Freeman Dyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/freeman-dyson/) > [My proposition is that as entrepreneurs and investors, rather than focusing on doing good with technology, let's instead focus on building good technology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-johnson/my-proposition-is-that-as-entrepreneurs-and-investors-rather-than/) [Bryan Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-johnson/) > [Kind words are a creative force, a power that concurs in the building up of all that is good, and energy that showers blessings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-g-lovasik/kind-words-are-a-creative-force-a-power-that-concurs-in-the-building/) [Lawrence G. Lovasik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-g-lovasik/) ## More by David Chipperfield > [I spent more than ten years working on the Neues Museum. It was a wonderful experience, an example of real collaboration between architects, conservationists,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/i-spent-more-than-ten-years-working-on-the-neues-museum-it-was-a/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [Seeing architecture differently from the way you see the rest of life is a bit weird. I believe one should be consistent in all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/seeing-architecture-differently-from-the-way-you-see-the-rest-of-life/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [I like to be surrounded by books. My wife Evelyn has a Ph.D. in comparative literature, so we have a lot of her Spanish…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/i-like-to-be-surrounded-by-books-my-wife-evelyn-has-a-ph-d-in/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [Architecture has curled up in a ball and it's about itself. It has found itself either as a freakshow, where you're not sure if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/architecture-has-curled-up-in-a-ball-and-it-s-about-itself-it-has/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [I'm suspicious of the idea of architects acting like business executives, brand managers, or purveyors of luxury goods.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/i-m-suspicious-of-the-idea-of-architects-acting-like-business/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [I do very little industrial design. I'm asked a lot, but I certainly don't see myself as an industrial designer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/i-do-very-little-industrial-design-i-m-asked-a-lot-but-i-certainly/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [We see buildings in Britain mostly as freestanding objects. 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I don't care how a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/there-is-a-danger-when-every-building-has-to-look-spectacular-to-look/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [I may not be the most interesting architect, but I'm still out there and have maintained some position of integrity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/i-may-not-be-the-most-interesting-architect-but-i-m-still-out-there/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [It's unfortunate that a certain type of stripped-down classicism became the in-house architectural language for 20th-century fascism. Can an architectural language recover from such…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/it-s-unfortunate-that-a-certain-type-of-stripped-down-classicism/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [The quality of the Neues Museum's construction is extraordinary even by German standards, and people can smell that quality. The concept would not have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/the-quality-of-the-neues-museum-s-construction-is-extraordinary-even/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [It is difficult to separate oneself from one's design moralities.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chipperfield/it-is-difficult-to-separate-oneself-from-one-s-design-moralities/) [David Chipperfield](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chipperfield/) > [When the Americans are behind you, they're behind you 100%, and this gives you real confidence as an architect. 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