“Less is bore” is a philosophy coined by the well know post-modernist architect Robert Venturi.  Venturi is commonly referred to as the father of postmodern architecture from his strides to go against the grain of static block-like buildings and introduce eclectic forms and experimentation into the architecture of the 1960s. His ideas were solidified in his 1966 book; “Complexity and Contradiction in architecture” where he goes into his “less is bore”, which is acknowledged as a cornerstone for shaping a new generation of architects.

So what does Venturi mean when he says “less is bore” Well, instead of molding to the conventional minimalist design that modernists followed at the time, Venturi decided to radicalize and implement unusual forms for buildings giving them more personality. And not just design the bare minimum and that not everything needs to be strictly functional but can also have characteristics that are purely aesthetic and/or ornamental.

One of the first post-modernist houses ever created was the one that Venturi created for his mother in her property in Philadelphia in the 50s. Still being one of his most well-known projects, the blue house looks like a child’s drawing of a house – representing the fundamental aspects of shelter”, wrote Venturi in Architectural Record 1982. Many aspects of the house were solely decorative like the thin arc detail above the front entrance. 

Robert Venturi’s mother’s house in Phillidelphia.