What I try to do is the art of building, and the art of building is the art of construction; it is not only about forms and shapes and images.
Peter ZumthorNormally, architects render a service. They implement what other people want. This is not what I do. I like to develop the use of the building together with the client, in a process, so that as we go along we become more intelligent.
Peter ZumthorI grew up in a craftsman's home, where things were done with our own hands. I did cabinetmaking for four years and I hated it.
Peter ZumthorDesigning is a matter of concentration. You go deep into what you want to do. It's about intensive research, really. The concentration is warm and intimate and like the fire inside the earth - intense but not distorted. You can go to a place, really feel it in your heart. It's actually a beautiful feeling.
Peter Zumthor