Eugène Viollet-le-Duc
A French architect and theorist, he was a leading figure in the Gothic Revival and known for his controversial restorations of medieval buildings.
Quotes by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc
The vault, that bold conception of the Gothic mind, defies gravity with grace.
Restoration demands respect for the past, but innovation for the future.
Architecture is the art of organizing space to serve man.
The flying buttress is the skeleton that supports the skin of the cathedral.
In the Middle Ages, cathedrals were built by the people for the people.
Beauty in architecture arises from utility well expressed.
The rose window is the eye of the soul gazing heavenward.
To restore is to revive the spirit of the original creator.
Architecture without function is mere decoration.
The Gothic arch teaches us that strength lies in curvature.
My restorations are not copies; they are completions of the unfinished.
In architecture, truth is more beautiful than ornament.
The cathedral is a symphony in stone.
Build as if eternity depended on it.
The pointed arch revolutionized construction as the wheel did transport.
Restorers must be archaeologists of the imagination.
Architecture is the mirror of civilization.
The nave leads the soul from earth to heaven.
Innovation in restoration is not sacrilege; it is homage.
Stone speaks if you know how to listen.