No stream rises higher than its source. Whatever man might build, could never express or reflect more than he was. He could record neither more nor less than he had learned of life when the buildings were built.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- He states that buildings can only express what the builder knows about life, limiting architecture to the creator's experience.
- In plain terms
- Buildings reflect only what the builder knows.
- What can you take from it?
- Architecture is limited by the creator's life experience.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What limits what we build?
- Can art exceed the artist's experience?
Another view
It overlooks how collective culture shapes architecture.
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