Helmut Jahn Quotes

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

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.

America has always imported history.

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

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

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?

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.

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

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

We want our buildings to work like a machine that will create a pleasurable environment.

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.

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 work, I work very hard. When I don't work, I have to do something where my endeavor can totally take me off what I do professionally, like sailing. It takes all your attention.

For me, though, the fun is over when I get the job.

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

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.

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.

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.

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!

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

I'm ashamed to be German.

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 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.

Sometimes I have to accept a job I don't really want. Hardly anybody comes up to you with a commission; it's all competitions these days.

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

For me, drawing generates thinking and vice versa.