Helmut Jahn

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

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.

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

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

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

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?

Every building is a prototype. No two are alike.

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

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.

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.

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

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