Quotes from Helmut Jahn

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

I don't consider myself a star or a celebrity. I'm a simple guy who works a lot.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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?

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

IBM has a very solid business image.

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.