Ernő Rubik
Born in 1944, Budapest. Exported as a designer. Currently retired.
Manifesto ↓
I didn’t want to have any single profession; I wanted to have all of them. And probably that desire is what led me to architecture. The ones that are most interesting are the buildings that I designed for myself. The homes that I have designed are all expressions of who I am, or of who I was when I built them. My ambition was not to create grand public spaces but private homes – spaces that needed to respond to daily lives, routines, and intimate moments of their inhabitants.
So are you about to become architects? Well, we'll see… A degree certainly grants you the right to design - but what ensures quality? Alas, a stamped piece of paper is not the magic ingredient, which turns architecture into art. Rather, that transformation is rooted in the commitment, in the passion to create, and in the vision of the whole built of all the parts. The art is in the understanding and service of function; coupled with the recognition, use and development of our own abilities. Good and beautiful are synonyms for me. We should not settle for less. Being an architect is not a job but a vocation - be worthy of it. This spirit should drive you when choosing your master and later your colleagues. Adapt to the circumstances, but do not compromise. In the present, you work for a better future. Of course, none of this is easy to achieve, but be confident that it is all worth it in the end, the results can make up for any sacrifice. In preindustrial times, the apprenticeship years ended with a long journey abroad. The renewal of that practice would still be very useful, acquiring new perspectives as well as at least one foreign language and building lasting professional relationships. A practicing architect cannot remain a solitary soloist - only in this way can he become a conductor over time. – Ernő Rubik
Career path ↓
Ernő Rubik graduated as an architect from the Budapest University of Technology, then also completed a course in interior design at the Hungarian Academy of Applied Arts. He taught architecture there in the 1970s, and he wanted to create a useful tool to help students better understand spatial relations and to stimulate their thinking. He created a wooden structure consisting of twenty-seven elements, the components of which are movable yet form a stable unit. This was the first prototype of the Magic Cube, which was developed further into the patented version. He never imagined that this invention would define his life, because every wonder lasts three days. But this particular wonder has persisted for half a century, becoming one of the best-selling toys of all time, with over 500 million units sold to date, now a universal symbol of creativity and problem-solving. The significance of the Rubik’s cube has implications far beyond itself. Over recent decades, it has frequently appeared in plays and Hollywood super-productions, it has been the subject of university courses and books, and at the centre of the recurring Rubik’s WCA World Championship. The list goes on ad infinitum. Its language is universal: its simplicity and complexity appeal to all ages and cultures. According to Ernő Rubik, the secret of the toy’s success lies in the fact that it activates concentration, curiosity and perseverance during the quest for the solution. It challenges the mind while entertaining us and encouraging new ways of looking at problems. Although the cube and Rubik’s name are now almost inextricably linked, he feels that this is not his, but rather the object’s success: he regards his creation in the same way a parent takes pride in his adult child.
Ernő Rubik
Born in 1944, Budapest. Exported as a designer. Currently retired.
Manifesto ↓
I didn’t want to have any single profession; I wanted to have all of them. And probably that desire is what led me to architecture. The ones that are most interesting are the buildings that I designed for myself. The homes that I have designed are all expressions of who I am, or of who I was when I built them. My ambition was not to create grand public spaces but private homes – spaces that needed to respond to daily lives, routines, and intimate moments of their inhabitants.
So are you about to become architects? Well, we'll see… A degree certainly grants you the right to design - but what ensures quality? Alas, a stamped piece of paper is not the magic ingredient, which turns architecture into art. Rather, that transformation is rooted in the commitment, in the passion to create, and in the vision of the whole built of all the parts. The art is in the understanding and service of function; coupled with the recognition, use and development of our own abilities. Good and beautiful are synonyms for me. We should not settle for less. Being an architect is not a job but a vocation - be worthy of it. This spirit should drive you when choosing your master and later your colleagues. Adapt to the circumstances, but do not compromise. In the present, you work for a better future. Of course, none of this is easy to achieve, but be confident that it is all worth it in the end, the results can make up for any sacrifice. In preindustrial times, the apprenticeship years ended with a long journey abroad. The renewal of that practice would still be very useful, acquiring new perspectives as well as at least one foreign language and building lasting professional relationships. A practicing architect cannot remain a solitary soloist - only in this way can he become a conductor over time. – Ernő Rubik
Career path ↓
Ernő Rubik graduated as an architect from the Budapest University of Technology, then also completed a course in interior design at the Hungarian Academy of Applied Arts. He taught architecture there in the 1970s, and he wanted to create a useful tool to help students better understand spatial relations and to stimulate their thinking. He created a wooden structure consisting of twenty-seven elements, the components of which are movable yet form a stable unit. This was the first prototype of the Magic Cube, which was developed further into the patented version. He never imagined that this invention would define his life, because every wonder lasts three days. But this particular wonder has persisted for half a century, becoming one of the best-selling toys of all time, with over 500 million units sold to date, now a universal symbol of creativity and problem-solving. The significance of the Rubik’s cube has implications far beyond itself. Over recent decades, it has frequently appeared in plays and Hollywood super-productions, it has been the subject of university courses and books, and at the centre of the recurring Rubik’s WCA World Championship. The list goes on ad infinitum. Its language is universal: its simplicity and complexity appeal to all ages and cultures. According to Ernő Rubik, the secret of the toy’s success lies in the fact that it activates concentration, curiosity and perseverance during the quest for the solution. It challenges the mind while entertaining us and encouraging new ways of looking at problems. Although the cube and Rubik’s name are now almost inextricably linked, he feels that this is not his, but rather the object’s success: he regards his creation in the same way a parent takes pride in his adult child.
Ernő Rubik
Born in 1944, Budapest. Exported as a designer. Currently retired.
Manifesto ↓
I didn’t want to have any single profession; I wanted to have all of them. And probably that desire is what led me to architecture. The ones that are most interesting are the buildings that I designed for myself. The homes that I have designed are all expressions of who I am, or of who I was when I built them. My ambition was not to create grand public spaces but private homes – spaces that needed to respond to daily lives, routines, and intimate moments of their inhabitants.
So are you about to become architects? Well, we'll see… A degree certainly grants you the right to design - but what ensures quality? Alas, a stamped piece of paper is not the magic ingredient, which turns architecture into art. Rather, that transformation is rooted in the commitment, in the passion to create, and in the vision of the whole built of all the parts. The art is in the understanding and service of function; coupled with the recognition, use and development of our own abilities. Good and beautiful are synonyms for me. We should not settle for less. Being an architect is not a job but a vocation - be worthy of it. This spirit should drive you when choosing your master and later your colleagues. Adapt to the circumstances, but do not compromise. In the present, you work for a better future. Of course, none of this is easy to achieve, but be confident that it is all worth it in the end, the results can make up for any sacrifice. In preindustrial times, the apprenticeship years ended with a long journey abroad. The renewal of that practice would still be very useful, acquiring new perspectives as well as at least one foreign language and building lasting professional relationships. A practicing architect cannot remain a solitary soloist - only in this way can he become a conductor over time. – Ernő Rubik
Career path ↓
Ernő Rubik graduated as an architect from the Budapest University of Technology, then also completed a course in interior design at the Hungarian Academy of Applied Arts. He taught architecture there in the 1970s, and he wanted to create a useful tool to help students better understand spatial relations and to stimulate their thinking. He created a wooden structure consisting of twenty-seven elements, the components of which are movable yet form a stable unit. This was the first prototype of the Magic Cube, which was developed further into the patented version. He never imagined that this invention would define his life, because every wonder lasts three days. But this particular wonder has persisted for half a century, becoming one of the best-selling toys of all time, with over 500 million units sold to date, now a universal symbol of creativity and problem-solving. The significance of the Rubik’s cube has implications far beyond itself. Over recent decades, it has frequently appeared in plays and Hollywood super-productions, it has been the subject of university courses and books, and at the centre of the recurring Rubik’s WCA World Championship. The list goes on ad infinitum. Its language is universal: its simplicity and complexity appeal to all ages and cultures. According to Ernő Rubik, the secret of the toy’s success lies in the fact that it activates concentration, curiosity and perseverance during the quest for the solution. It challenges the mind while entertaining us and encouraging new ways of looking at problems. Although the cube and Rubik’s name are now almost inextricably linked, he feels that this is not his, but rather the object’s success: he regards his creation in the same way a parent takes pride in his adult child.
Ernő Rubik
Born in 1944, Budapest. Exported as a designer. Currently retired.
Manifesto ↓
I didn’t want to have any single profession; I wanted to have all of them. And probably that desire is what led me to architecture. The ones that are most interesting are the buildings that I designed for myself. The homes that I have designed are all expressions of who I am, or of who I was when I built them. My ambition was not to create grand public spaces but private homes – spaces that needed to respond to daily lives, routines, and intimate moments of their inhabitants.
So are you about to become architects? Well, we'll see… A degree certainly grants you the right to design - but what ensures quality? Alas, a stamped piece of paper is not the magic ingredient, which turns architecture into art. Rather, that transformation is rooted in the commitment, in the passion to create, and in the vision of the whole built of all the parts. The art is in the understanding and service of function; coupled with the recognition, use and development of our own abilities. Good and beautiful are synonyms for me. We should not settle for less. Being an architect is not a job but a vocation - be worthy of it. This spirit should drive you when choosing your master and later your colleagues. Adapt to the circumstances, but do not compromise. In the present, you work for a better future. Of course, none of this is easy to achieve, but be confident that it is all worth it in the end, the results can make up for any sacrifice. In preindustrial times, the apprenticeship years ended with a long journey abroad. The renewal of that practice would still be very useful, acquiring new perspectives as well as at least one foreign language and building lasting professional relationships. A practicing architect cannot remain a solitary soloist - only in this way can he become a conductor over time. – Ernő Rubik
Career path ↓
Ernő Rubik graduated as an architect from the Budapest University of Technology, then also completed a course in interior design at the Hungarian Academy of Applied Arts. He taught architecture there in the 1970s, and he wanted to create a useful tool to help students better understand spatial relations and to stimulate their thinking. He created a wooden structure consisting of twenty-seven elements, the components of which are movable yet form a stable unit. This was the first prototype of the Magic Cube, which was developed further into the patented version. He never imagined that this invention would define his life, because every wonder lasts three days. But this particular wonder has persisted for half a century, becoming one of the best-selling toys of all time, with over 500 million units sold to date, now a universal symbol of creativity and problem-solving. The significance of the Rubik’s cube has implications far beyond itself. Over recent decades, it has frequently appeared in plays and Hollywood super-productions, it has been the subject of university courses and books, and at the centre of the recurring Rubik’s WCA World Championship. The list goes on ad infinitum. Its language is universal: its simplicity and complexity appeal to all ages and cultures. According to Ernő Rubik, the secret of the toy’s success lies in the fact that it activates concentration, curiosity and perseverance during the quest for the solution. It challenges the mind while entertaining us and encouraging new ways of looking at problems. Although the cube and Rubik’s name are now almost inextricably linked, he feels that this is not his, but rather the object’s success: he regards his creation in the same way a parent takes pride in his adult child.
Ernő Rubik
Born in 1944, Budapest. Exported as a designer. Currently retired.
Manifesto ↓
I didn’t want to have any single profession; I wanted to have all of them. And probably that desire is what led me to architecture. The ones that are most interesting are the buildings that I designed for myself. The homes that I have designed are all expressions of who I am, or of who I was when I built them. My ambition was not to create grand public spaces but private homes – spaces that needed to respond to daily lives, routines, and intimate moments of their inhabitants.
So are you about to become architects? Well, we'll see… A degree certainly grants you the right to design - but what ensures quality? Alas, a stamped piece of paper is not the magic ingredient, which turns architecture into art. Rather, that transformation is rooted in the commitment, in the passion to create, and in the vision of the whole built of all the parts. The art is in the understanding and service of function; coupled with the recognition, use and development of our own abilities. Good and beautiful are synonyms for me. We should not settle for less. Being an architect is not a job but a vocation - be worthy of it. This spirit should drive you when choosing your master and later your colleagues. Adapt to the circumstances, but do not compromise. In the present, you work for a better future. Of course, none of this is easy to achieve, but be confident that it is all worth it in the end, the results can make up for any sacrifice. In preindustrial times, the apprenticeship years ended with a long journey abroad. The renewal of that practice would still be very useful, acquiring new perspectives as well as at least one foreign language and building lasting professional relationships. A practicing architect cannot remain a solitary soloist - only in this way can he become a conductor over time. – Ernő Rubik
Career path ↓
Ernő Rubik graduated as an architect from the Budapest University of Technology, then also completed a course in interior design at the Hungarian Academy of Applied Arts. He taught architecture there in the 1970s, and he wanted to create a useful tool to help students better understand spatial relations and to stimulate their thinking. He created a wooden structure consisting of twenty-seven elements, the components of which are movable yet form a stable unit. This was the first prototype of the Magic Cube, which was developed further into the patented version. He never imagined that this invention would define his life, because every wonder lasts three days. But this particular wonder has persisted for half a century, becoming one of the best-selling toys of all time, with over 500 million units sold to date, now a universal symbol of creativity and problem-solving. The significance of the Rubik’s cube has implications far beyond itself. Over recent decades, it has frequently appeared in plays and Hollywood super-productions, it has been the subject of university courses and books, and at the centre of the recurring Rubik’s WCA World Championship. The list goes on ad infinitum. Its language is universal: its simplicity and complexity appeal to all ages and cultures. According to Ernő Rubik, the secret of the toy’s success lies in the fact that it activates concentration, curiosity and perseverance during the quest for the solution. It challenges the mind while entertaining us and encouraging new ways of looking at problems. Although the cube and Rubik’s name are now almost inextricably linked, he feels that this is not his, but rather the object’s success: he regards his creation in the same way a parent takes pride in his adult child.