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

Every building is a prototype. No two are alike.

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?

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.

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.

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