Creativity has more to do with the elimination of the inessential than with inventing something new.

Most architects say: I want to use this type of glass, even if it's too reflective or doesn't let enough light in. However, the use of a certain type of glass might change the comfort level.

You don't know what the Chinese expect in the way of beauty. The presentation is just a farce. You come into a room filled with 50 people and they don't talk to you. There's very little interaction.

A building is hard to judge. It takes many years to find out whether it works. It's not as simple as asking the people in the office whether they like it.

I strive for an architecture from which nothing can be taken away.

Transparency is not the same as looking straight through a building: it's not just a physical idea, it's also an intellectual one.

Chinese buildings are like American buildings, with big footprints. People don't care about daylight or fresh air.