Ma Yansong Quotes

Chinese - Architect 1975

I think architects have a major role in being responsible for illustrating what the future could be. Because of the very strong political and commercial climate, many architects are trying very hard to solve everyday issues, to respond to the authorities.

We need to be brave and tell the politicians what a better future could be.

Future Brave Better Politicians Be Brave Better Future Could Need Tell

We need architects to be visionaries.

Need Architects Visionaries

When we talk about a city, we need to talk about what the future is. Whats the ideal scenario in the future?

Future City Talk Need Ideal Scenario About

If we're talking about the urban landscape as an advanced, forward-thinking art form, there must be some intellectual thinking involved.

Art Thinking Must Intellectual Advanced Art Form Landscape Urban About Form Involved Some Talking

Top 10
Ma Yansong
Quotes

The shan-shui city idea is trying to bring traditional values and ways of living to modern high-rise architecture.

Architecture City Trying Living Traditional Traditional Values Bring Idea Modern Values Ways

A lot of ancient poetry sees in nature a reflection of human emotions, and in a post-industrialized era, once people have become more aware of the necessity of a more harmonious relation between man and nature, we need to build cities which can connect with human spiritual needs instead of being merely functional.

Although we're architects, we believe we do culture; architecture is culture, and the topics we tackle will always arise a broader debate.

Believe Culture Architecture Will Architects Arise Broader Debate Tackle Topics Although Always

We try to turn buildings into landscapes - defying the idea of modernism which sees nature and buildings as two distinct elements.

Nature Try Buildings Turn Defying Distinct Elements Landscapes Modernism Sees Idea Two Which

We need to enter a new era to make nature and humans more emotionally connected in modern cities.

Nature New More Need Cities Connected Emotionally Enter Era Humans New Era Make Modern

In our traditional culture, people have a very different view towards nature than in Western culture. We consider humans as part of nature. But in the West, they talk about protecting nature. That's a joke because nature doesn't care; it's humans who need to protect themselves.

Modern buildings have become memorials to power and capital. More and more, they're isolated from people.

Power People More Buildings Capital Isolated Memorials More And More Become Modern

Ultimately, the artistic part of architecture has always interested me.

Me Architecture Always Interested Artistic Ultimately Part

I don't use tools to create things, but I use them to realize things.

Tools Things Create Realize Them Use

Sometimes I sketch and then scan my sketch directly to make the curves more freehand. I don't want to make perfect industrial curves.

Sketch Sometimes Perfect Curves Directly Industrial Scan Make More Then Want

I think, in our modern cities, there are a lot of boxes; there are a lot of straight lines. They often deal with efficiency, the function, the structure.

Think Efficiency Our Lines Boxes Cities Function Structure Deal I Think Lot Modern Often Straight

People love to go closer to nature and other people, so we need to create environments that let people have these emotional connections.

Love Nature People Go Closer Connections Environments Create Emotional Need Other

What if we treat the high-rise like a mountain, or we have gardens in the sky, or waterfalls? I think that's the most challenging thing I want to try in my architecture.

Sky Architecture Think Like Challenging Gardens Mountain Treat What If I Think Most Thing Try Want

The way a human can coexist with nature has to be at the spiritual level.

Nature Spiritual Way Human Coexist Level

I'm trying to create architecture as landscape. But I'm not copying nature.

Nature Architecture Landscape Trying Copying Create

I'm trying to express nature in big cities.

Nature Big Trying Express Big Cities Cities

There must be a way to combine the high rise and high-density environment with nature. Maybe we can have our gardens in the sky.

Nature Sky Way Rise Combine Gardens Environment High Maybe Must Our

If you look at ancient Chinese paintings, you see mountains, but they are not real mountains; it is something the artists imagined.

You Look Real See Ancient Chinese Imagined Mountains Paintings Artists Something

I actually feel like a very traditional architect.

Feel Like Very Architect Traditional Actually

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