Always Quote by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
“The problem of architecture has always been the same throughout time. Its authentic quality is reached through its proportions, and the proportions cost nothing. In fact, most of them are proportions among things, not the things themselves. Art is almost always a question of proportions.”
About This Quote
Source Book: Modern Architecture: A Critical History, 1977
Good design relies on balanced relationships; true quality emerges from proportion, not material cost.
In simple terms: Design quality comes from proportion, not expense.
Focus on proportion, not price.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- building design
- urban planning
- interior layout
- product design
- art criticism
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can proportion be balanced with user needs?
- When does cost become a design driver?
Proportion alone cannot solve functional or cultural constraints.