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" We prefer synthetic rather than natural materials. Natural products are almost too valuable. Wood is much harder to produce than metal. And metal is recyclable, while wood isn't. "

Helmut Jahn

Natural

Wood

Metal

Related Quotes:

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

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

Helmut Jahn

Something

Creativity

" Higher ceilings allow the use indirect lighting, which is much healthier and reduces glare. "

" We are creating a unique experience. It's starts with how you see the building from a distance. "

" A good engineer thinks in reverse and asks himself about the stylistic consequences of the components and systems he proposes. "

" The American attitude towards efficiency and execution should always underlie architecture. "

" It's my goal to make a building as immaterial as possible. Architecture is a very material thing. It takes a lot of resources, so why not eliminate what you don't need as long as you're able to achieve the same result? "

" Critics are entitled to have an opinion, but how can they judge how comfortable a building is? No critic is smart enough to judge how a building will perform over time. "

" You'd never think of taking a cab if you had to walk a mile down Chicago's Michigan Avenue. But in a bad city you take a cab just to go around the corner. "

" IBM has a very solid business image. "

" German and English firms operate internationally, while French firms do not. The only place where they all have work is in China. Anybody can sell himself in China! "

" America has always imported history. "

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

" The architecture profession has lost a lot of its integrity, especially in the USA. The general architect here has no scruples, no ambitions. "

" In Europe, they're more demanding, the ones that rent the build ings. "

Helmut Jahn

Demanding

Build

" I think the younger generation, the people poised to dominate the workforce, are more socially conscious. They are more demanding in terms of environment and how that environment contributes to their life. "

" When I came to America in the '60s, it was the place to be. I wonder if I'd come here today. "

" 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. "

" Success on one project does not necessarily mean success in the next project. You've got to be prepared in everything you do. "

" Every building is a prototype. No two are alike. "

" Working is actually a pleasure. It's just very time-consuming. It's a way of life. I find that I can work when I travel and work when I run. There is nothing like, on a rainy day, to work. "

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

" 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. "

" For me, drawing generates thinking and vice versa. "

Helmut Jahn

Vice Versa

Vice

" I'm just a nice and easy person. "

" I think there will be a 200-story skyscraper someday. However, it will require a developer who will not think in conventional terms and for whom economic restraints won't apply. "

" 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. "

" In Europe, architects consider themselves artists. They think they're special when they win a competition. "

" When I think of some of my earlier work, it really seems a fortunate coincidence that I succeeded. "

" I used to buy nice clothes and drive a nice car when I couldn't afford it. But I spent all my money doing it, and now I don't have to. I like nice things. I like to travel in a certain style. I like to live in a nice place. "