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. (Helmut Jahn)
The American attitude towards efficiency and execution should always underlie architecture. (Helmut Jahn)
A city building, you experience when you walk; a suburban building, you experience when you drive. (Helmut Jahn)
I strive for an architecture from which nothing can be taken away. (Helmut Jahn)
The architecture profession has lost a lot of its integrity, especially in the USA. The general architect here has no scruples, no ambitions. (Helmut Jahn)
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. (Helmut Jahn)
Transparency is not the same as looking straight through a building: it's not just a physical idea, it's also an intellectual one. (Helmut Jahn)
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. (Helmut Jahn)
We want our buildings to work like a machine that will create a pleasurable environment. (Helmut Jahn)
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. (Helmut Jahn)
Creativity has more to do with the elimination of the inessential than with inventing something new. (Helmut Jahn)
When I came to America in the '60s, it was the place to be. I wonder if I'd come here today. (Helmut Jahn)
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. (Helmut Jahn)
When I think of some of my earlier work, it really seems a fortunate coincidence that I succeeded. (Helmut Jahn)
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! (Helmut Jahn)