---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Experimental architecture by its very…"
description: "\"Experimental architecture by its very nature is more prone to the depredations of time and natural elements than buildings made from conventional mater..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/964/martin-filler-11342_architect_experimental-architecture-by-its-very-na_2063304.png"
---

#  Experimental architecture by its very nature is more prone…

![“Experimental architecture by its very nature is more prone to the depredations of time and natural elements than buildings made from conventional materials through traditional methods. Avant-garde architects often simply do not know how the products of their imagination will perform when…” quote by Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/964/martin-filler-11342_architect_experimental-architecture-by-its-very-na_2063304.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/964/martin-filler-11342_architect_experimental-architecture-by-its-very-na_2063304.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/964/martin-filler-11342_architect_experimental-architecture-by-its-very-na_2063304.png)

> “Experimental architecture by its very nature is more prone to the depredations of time and natural elements than buildings made from conventional materials through traditional methods. Avant-garde architects often simply do not know how the products of their imagination will perform when implemented, especially if untested components are involved.”

[Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Experimental architecture, using unconventional materials and avant‑garde designs, is vulnerable to time and environmental wear, and its long‑term performance is often uncertain.

**In simple terms:** Innovative building methods risk durability and predictability.

Key Takeaway

Balance creativity with proven durability.

Themes

innovation risk material environment longevity

Mood

cautious inquisitive critical

Type

architecture technology

When to use this quote

- urban planning
- construction projects
- material testing
- design reviews

Key Concepts

experimental design material science architectural theory

Questions to Reflect On

- How can architects test new materials before widespread use?
- What strategies ensure experimental buildings age gracefully?

A Different Perspective

Novel designs may be costly to maintain or repair over time.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Architect](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architect/) [Architecture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architecture/) [Architecture Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architecture-nature-3720183/) [Avant garde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/avant-garde/) [Building](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/building/) [Buildings Conventional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buildings-conventional-3946295/) [Components](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/components/) [Conventional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conventional/) [Conventional Materials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conventional-materials-3946296/) [Elements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elements/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Experimental](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experimental/) [Experimental Architecture](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/experimental-architecture-3946294/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Imagination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/imagination/) [Involved](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/involved/) [Know how](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/know-how/) [Knows](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/knows/) [Made](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/made/) [Materials](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/materials/) [Method](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/method/) [Natural](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural/) [Natural elements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/natural-elements/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Products](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/products/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) [Traditional](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/traditional/)

## Related quotes

> [Architecture is what nature cannot make. Architecture is something unnatural but not something made up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louis-kahn/architecture-is-what-nature-cannot-make-architecture-is-something/)

[Louis Kahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louis-kahn/)

> [We've been fighting from the beginning for organic architecture. That is, architecture where the whole is to the part as the part is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-lloyd-wright/we-ve-been-fighting-from-the-beginning-for-organic-architecture-that/)

[Frank Lloyd Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-lloyd-wright/)

> [For architecture, nature provides only indications and analogies, not models to imitate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-krier/for-architecture-nature-provides-only-indications-and-analogies-not/)

[Leon Krier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-krier/)

> [We may complain and cavil at the anarchy which is the amateurs natural element, but in soberness we must agree that if the amateur…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-barzun/we-may-complain-and-cavil-at-the-anarchy-which-is-the-amateurs/)

[Jacques Barzun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-barzun/)

> [Selfishness, eager for a heaven of enjoyment, is quite a different thing in the soul from love and purity and truth, yearning together for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-mountford/selfishness-eager-for-a-heaven-of-enjoyment-is-quite-a-different/)

[William Mountford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-mountford/)

> [Speculation in oil stock companies was another great evil ... From the first, oil men had to contend with wild fluctuations in the price…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ida-tarbell/speculation-in-oil-stock-companies-was-another-great-evil-from-the/)

[Ida Tarbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ida-tarbell/)

> [“Fire and earth are the most sacred of the natural elements. One must cross their path with caution and respect.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracey-m-hook/fire-and-earth-are-the-most-sacred-of-the-natural-elements-one-must/)

[tracey m. hook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracey-m-hook/)

> [I'm a nature lover, I want at any given time to be able to bring lots of plants into my house, have lots of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-clovis/i-m-a-nature-lover-i-want-at-any-given-time-to-be-able-to-bring-lots/)

[Sebastian Clovis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-clovis/)

> [In order to actually have a touchscreen in front of me and somehow still be connected to nature, I needed to be able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bjork/in-order-to-actually-have-a-touchscreen-in-front-of-me-and-somehow/)

[Bjork](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bjork/)

> [I've been working with music videos and commercials, they are naturally very music driven and visual driven. So that feels like my natural element…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fredrik-bond/i-ve-been-working-with-music-videos-and-commercials-they-are/)

[Fredrik Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fredrik-bond/)

> [One volcano in Hawaii, one volcano in Indonesia, produces enough gases in the atmosphere, which include those natural elements that are in the Earth's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-gibbons/one-volcano-in-hawaii-one-volcano-in-indonesia-produces-enough-gases/)

[Jim Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-gibbons/)

> [An electronic instrument is just harboring a natural element the same way that a guitar is harboring an acoustic element. It's all nature, really.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-wolf/an-electronic-instrument-is-just-harboring-a-natural-element-the-same/)

[Patrick Wolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-wolf/)

> [The spirit of a government must be that of the country. The form of a government must come from the makeup of the country.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-marti/the-spirit-of-a-government-must-be-that-of-the-country-the-form-of-a/)

[Jose Marti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-marti/)

> [Everything in life is built on principles - plants, seas, birds, all of the natural elements of nature, they all follow and obey certain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/myles-munroe/everything-in-life-is-built-on-principles-plants-seas-birds-all-of/)

[Myles Munroe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/myles-munroe/)

> [Within two hours of where I live, you have mountains and desert as location. I like the natural elements that abstract into light, texture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herb-ritts/within-two-hours-of-where-i-live-you-have-mountains-and-desert-as/)

[Herb Ritts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herb-ritts/)

## More by Martin Filler

> [Elevated locations imply elevated purposes, even in American cities departing as radically as Los Angeles does from the traditional planning patterns of the Eastern…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/elevated-locations-imply-elevated-purposes-even-in-american-cities/)

[Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/)

> [Architecture is not a profession for the faint-hearted, the weak-willed, or the short-lived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/architecture-is-not-a-profession-for-the-faint-hearted-the-weak/)

[Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/)

> [The danger for any artist whose work is both recognizable and critically acclaimed is complacent repetition - the temptation to churn out easily identifiable,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/the-danger-for-any-artist-whose-work-is-both-recognizable-and/)

[Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/)

> [Architectural kitsch is most common in the commercial pop vernacular - typified by the Big Duck of 1931 in Flanders, New York, a Long…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/architectural-kitsch-is-most-common-in-the-commercial-pop-vernacular/)

[Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/)

> [The Frankfurt Museum of Decorative Arts is a handsome building, which takes its cues from the riverside Biedermeier villa next to it, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/the-frankfurt-museum-of-decorative-arts-is-a-handsome-building-which/)

[Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/)

> [The most basic task of any museum must be the protection of works of cultural significance entrusted to its care for the edification and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/the-most-basic-task-of-any-museum-must-be-the-protection-of-works-of/)

[Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/)

> [Postmodernism came nowhere close in quality to Modernism at its apogee, not least because that later style wholly lacked the social impetus that animated…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/postmodernism-came-nowhere-close-in-quality-to-modernism-at-its/)

[Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/)

> [One reason I've never been a fan of graphic novels is because a central aspect of literature for me has always been imagining what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/one-reason-i-ve-never-been-a-fan-of-graphic-novels-is-because-a/)

[Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/)

> [The truth be told, the World Trade Center was neither a very good work of architecture nor a very successful piece of urbanism. Its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/the-truth-be-told-the-world-trade-center-was-neither-a-very-good-work/)

[Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/)

> [During the modern period, the vanguard architect has usually relied on small residential jobs both to supply a steady income and to serve as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/during-the-modern-period-the-vanguard-architect-has-usually-relied-on/)

[Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/)

> [We take from the art of the past what we need. The variable posthumous reputations of even the greatest artists and the unpredictable revivals…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/we-take-from-the-art-of-the-past-what-we-need-the-variable-posthumous/)

[Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/)

> [Masterpieces of art possess immense potential to advance a worldview that could help assuage the societal terrors posed by globalization, the most thoroughgoing socioeconomic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/masterpieces-of-art-possess-immense-potential-to-advance-a-worldview/)

[Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/)

> [The work that launched Snohetta into the architectural big leagues was their Oslo Opera House, which will certainly rank among the firm's highlights whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/the-work-that-launched-snohetta-into-the-architectural-big-leagues/)

[Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/)

> [There can be little question that the tall building presents one of the most difficult challenges to the architect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/there-can-be-little-question-that-the-tall-building-presents-one-of/)

[Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/)

> [The first half of the 1960s was the apogee of what might be termed the Age of Cool - as defined by that quality…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/the-first-half-of-the-1960s-was-the-apogee-of-what-might-be-termed/)

[Martin Filler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/)

[Explore all 60 Martin Filler quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/)

## More Architect quotes

> [When I am asked what I believe in, I say that I believe in architecture. Architecture is the mother of the arts. I like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-meier/when-i-am-asked-what-i-believe-in-i-say-that-i-believe-in/)

[Richard Meier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-meier/)

> [Some architects have a preconceived notion of what a building should be](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/curtis-w-fentress/some-architects-have-a-preconceived-notion-of-what-a-building-should/)

[Curtis W. Fentress](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/curtis-w-fentress/)

> [Whether that's speaking up in your job or asking for a promotion or saying, 'I think I can do that.' Using your voice in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-shriver/whether-that-s-speaking-up-in-your-job-or-asking-for-a-promotion-or/)

[Maria Shriver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-shriver/)

> [When it comes to getting things done, we need fewer architects and more bricklayers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/when-it-comes-to-getting-things-done-we-need-fewer-architects-and/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [Architects mostly work for privileged people, people who have money and power, Power and money are invisible, so people hire us to visualize their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shigeru-ban/architects-mostly-work-for-privileged-people-people-who-have-money/)

[Shigeru Ban](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shigeru-ban/)

> [I was the chairman of the Budget Committee and the lead architect the last time it happened in Washington, and when we did it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/i-was-the-chairman-of-the-budget-committee-and-the-lead-architect-the/)

[John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/)

> [The architect is very interesting because the architect is the commander, meaning the one who commands all the workers. The architect is also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-architect-is-very-interesting-because-the-architect-is-the/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [The pursuit of peace resembles the building of a great cathedral. It is the work of a generation. In concept it requires a mater-architect;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hubert-h-humphrey/the-pursuit-of-peace-resembles-the-building-of-a-great-cathedral-it/)

[Hubert H. Humphrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hubert-h-humphrey/)

> [Yes, Garnett Grey was an Architect. Were a psychoanalyst to approach him from behind, tap his shoulder, and say 'Humanity,' Garrett'd spin and respond,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chip-kidd/yes-garnett-grey-was-an-architect-were-a-psychoanalyst-to-approach/)

[Chip Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chip-kidd/)

> [The challenge of today's generation of architects is the environment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carol-ross-barney/the-challenge-of-today-s-generation-of-architects-is-the-environment/)

[Carol Ross Barney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carol-ross-barney/)

> [I stand on this rostrum with a sense of deep humility and great pride - humility in the weight of those great American architects…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-macarthur/i-stand-on-this-rostrum-with-a-sense-of-deep-humility-and-great-pride/)

[Douglas MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-macarthur/)

> [Architects in the past have tended to concentrate their attention on the building as a static object. I believe dynamics are more important: the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/architects-in-the-past-have-tended-to-concentrate-their-attention-on/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [I was the chairman of the House Budget Committee and one of the chief architects the last time we balanced a budget, and it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-kasich/i-was-the-chairman-of-the-house-budget-committee-and-one-of-the-chief/)

[John Kasich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-kasich/)

> [No matter what an architect may be at home, he becomes a monumentalist when he comes to Washington.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ada-louise-huxtable/no-matter-what-an-architect-may-be-at-home-he-becomes-a-monumentalist/)

[Ada Louise Huxtable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ada-louise-huxtable/)

> [As an architect you design for the present, with an awareness of the past, for a future which is essentially unknown.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-foster/as-an-architect-you-design-for-the-present-with-an-awareness-of-the/)

[Norman Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-foster/)

[Browse all 836 Architect quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/architect/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "Experimental architecture by its very nature is more prone to the depredations of time and natural elements than buildings made from conventional materials through traditional methods. Avant-garde architects often simply do not know how the products of their imagination will perform when implemented, especially if untested components are involved.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Martin Filler"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/experimental-architecture-by-its-very-nature-is-more-prone-to-the/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Architect"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/experimental-architecture-by-its-very-nature-is-more-prone-to-the/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/964/martin-filler-11342_architect_experimental-architecture-by-its-very-na_2063304.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/964/martin-filler-11342_architect_experimental-architecture-by-its-very-na_2063304.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/964/martin-filler-11342_architect_experimental-architecture-by-its-very-na_2063304.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“Experimental architecture by its very nature is more prone to the depredations of time and natural elements…” — Martin Filler",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Martin Filler",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-filler/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "Experimental architecture by its very nature...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/experimental-architecture-by-its-very-nature-is-more-prone-to-the/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-filler/experimental-architecture-by-its-very-nature-is-more-prone-to-the/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
