Helmut Jahn Quotes & Sayings (Page 2)

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

“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.”

“I wanted to improve the suburban office building; to create a great urban space in a suburban environment with all that implies about interaction, collaboration and creativity.”

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

“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.”

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

“I've never looked at a suburban building as being a minor building and an urban building as being a major building.”

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

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

“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?”