In the end, the character of a civilization is encased in its structures.

I'm inspired by a lot of stuff. I always was interested in sculpture and painting and music and literature and all those things. There's no one thing.

I would like to make a building as intellectually driven as it is sculptural and as positive as it would be acceptable to hope.

Most of what's around us is banal. We live with it. We accept it as inevitable.

Art is about people. I think the discussion about whether architecture is art or not is lamebrain.

We deny our nature to build and create and then wonder why there is so much alienation and dissatisfaction.

I do my best to choose carefully. If I don’t feel that collaboration is going to happen, I say no. Think about it. These projects can involve a five-to-seven-year partnership. If you don’t feel comfortable with someone, you can’t get rid of them. I just walked away from a job for that reason. Every one of these projects is an emotional investment, like falling in love. You’ve got to believe in it and you’ve got to like the people you work with.