The acceptance of certain realities doesn't preclude idealism. It can lead to certain breakthroughs.

Criticism per se does not worry me. I've always solicited it as part of the design process.

The work in S, M, L, XL was almost suicidal. It required so much effort that our office almost went bankrupt.

When shopping was still connected to the street it was also an intensification and articulation of the street. Now it has become utterly independent - contained, controlled, surveyed.

Manhattan has generated a shameless architecture that has been loved in direct proportion to its defiant lack of self-hatred, has been respected exactly to the degree that it went too far.

Lagos has also had a particular effect on my career. I was there early, and although it was a courageous step to go there and invest on this scale - I went there maybe 20 times - it's also been also super-controversial. There's an old school of thought that somebody like me has no place to go there.Because of colonialism and so on.

Our office acts like a kind of educational establishment and we are very careful who we educate.