Malevitch discovered abstraction as an experimental principle that can propel creative work to previously unheard levels of invention; this abstract work allowed much greater levels of creativity.

I miss aspects of being in the Arab world - the language - and there is a tranquility in these cities with great rivers. Whether it's Cairo or Baghdad, you sit there and you think, 'This river has flown here for thousands of years.' There are magical moments in these places.

When you are overworked and exhausted, there is a sense of kind of delirium and that's why I think architects do all-nighters and they kind of do those deadlines. For four days I remember doing four nights in one row with no sleep. I mean nobody, unless you are crazy, would do that, but you are totally focused on the project.

Architecture is unnecessarily difficult. It's very tough.

Education, housing and hospitals are the most important things for society.

What's similar between Britain and America is the lack of good-quality civic buildings.

I can't focus when there's too many things around. Whenever I used to go to the office, I used to always say, 'Tidy up.'