It was the drawing that led me to architecture, the search for light and astonishing forms.

I search for surprise in my architecture. A work of art should cause the emotion of newness.

Architecture is invention.

Architecture is my work, and I've spent my whole life at a drawing board, but life is more important than architecture. What matters is to improve human beings.

It is not with architecture that one can disseminate any political ideology.

Of course, I have given my engineers some headaches over the years, but they go with me. I have always wanted my buildings to be as light as possible, to touch the ground gently, to swoop and soar, and to surprise.