“Less is more” is a phrase that was adopted into the architecture profession by Mies van der Rohe which became the mantra for minimalist architectural design, but how does that apply to architecture today?
“Less is more” – Mies van der Rohe
Rafael Gomez-Moriana took a different approach to the famed phrase ” less is more” to instead explore “less and more” to examine what should occur less and what should occur more in architecture. Many within architecture can agree with at least a portion of the less and more actions that Gomez-Moriana explored below:
Less and More Source: hunch: the Berlage Institute report, No. 6/7 summer 2003
One particularly intriguing action is “less hype, more substance” especially in today’s notion of focusing on and praising the ‘starchitect’ who creates architecture that is hyped up without the public considering the architectural substance of that architecture they praise. It would not be possible for architecture to survive if there is no substance. Building off of this same notion of the ‘starchitect’ is the action of “less hero worship, more critique”. Society is in an age of celebrities and fame of which even architecture became sucked in with the notion of the ‘starchitect’, however you cannot worship architecture without being able to critique. Design is subjective with each person having their own perspective, so why follow the ‘starchitect’ mentality when you can critique? Through critique we understand the architectural context, architect’s design mentality, experience, etc. Through critique we understand and appreciate architecture.
Instead of “less is more” in architecture, there needs to be “less and more”.
S Senninger 