Frank Lloyd Wright Quotes

American architect (1867-1959)

Frank Lloyd Wright (8 June 1867 – 9 April 1959) was an American architect, interior designer, writer, and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures, 532 of which were completed. Wright believed in designing structures that were in harmony with humanity and its environment, with a philosophy he called organic architecture.

From: Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Birth Name: Franklin Lincoln Wright

Alternative Names: Frank Lincoln Wright • F. L. Wright • Frank Lloyd Lincoln Wright • Frank Lloid Rait • Frank Luyd Rayt • Lloyd Wright Frank • FLW

From Wikidata (CC0)

Showing quotes in randomized order to avoid selection bias. Click Popular for most popular quotes.

Can it be that the ultimate chapter of this new era of democratic freedom is going to be deformed by this growing drift toward conformity encouraged by politics and sentimental education? If so then by what name shall our national American character be justly called? Doomed to beget only curiosities or monstrosities in art, architecture and religion by artists predominant chiefly by compliance with commercial expediency?
Machine standardization is apparently growing to mean little that is inspiring to the human spirit. We see the American workman himself becoming the prey of gangsterism made official. Everything as now professionalized, in time dies spiritually. Must the innate beauty of American life succumb or be destroyed? Can we save truth as beauty and beauty as truth in our country only if truth becomes the chief concern of our serious citizens and their artists, architects and men of religion, independent of established authority?

I then believed critics were by nature no less confused than confusing.

The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in a thing makes it happen.

I doubt if there is anything in the world uglier than a Midwestern city.

Space is the breath of art.

Man is a phase of nature, and only as he is related to nature does he matter, does he have any account whatever above the dust.

It is where life is fundamental and free that men develop the vision needed to reveal the human soul in the blossoms it puts forth. ... In a great workshop like Chicago this creative power germinates, even though the brutality and selfish preoccupation of the place drive it elsewhere for bread. Men of this type have loved Chicago, have worked for her, and believed in her. The hardest thing they have to bear is her shame. These men could live and work here when to live and work in New York would stifle their genius and fill their purse.... New York still believes that art should be imported; brought over in ships; and is a quite contented market place. So while New York has reproduced much and produced nothing, Chicago's achievements in architecture have gained world-wide recognition as a distinctively American architecture.

Intellectual is not necessarily intelligent either.

As melody is in music ornament is in architecture revelation of the poetic-principle, with character and significance.

Man either learns to usefor humanity his new facilities or he perishes by them.

By being so far educated beyond his capacity is he unable to learn within himself from nature? Divorced as he is from her, who and what can now be his? Does the so-called free man of democracy merely exploit his sovereignity?

Youth is a circumstance you can't do anything about. The trick is to grow up without getting old.

So the poet in the engineer and the engineer in the poet and both in the architect may be seen here working together, lifelong.

There is release from anguish in action.

A man is a fool if he drinks before he reaches the age of 50, and a fool if he doesn't afterward.