“Architecture is about aging well, about precision and authenticity. There is much more to the success of a building than what you can see. Im not suggesting that gestural architecture is always superficial, but solid reasoning has its place.” WellsBuildingAgingArchitectureAuthenticityReasoningSuperficialPrecisionSuggesting Author:Annabelle Selldorf
“I make spaces that are calm rather than confrontational. I seek a certain kind of logic that allows you to move in space and perceive it as beautiful and rational. Clarity is a worthwhile quality.” KindBeautifulMovingCertainSpaceQualityLogicCalmRationalClarityPerceiveWorthwhile Author:Annabelle Selldorf
“So much of what makes a room great is how you enter and circulate through it, how it addresses the body.” BodyRoomsAddressesAnnabelle Author:Annabelle Selldorf
“To me, the nicest luxury would be to have a room where I could keep all my books in one place - and have space for more.” BookWould BeSpaceRoomsLuxury Author:Annabelle Selldorf
“I'm inspired by looking at art, by looking at precedent. Looking is what you have to do if you want to make things, so you develop a critical eye.” IfsWantArtEyeInspiredCriticalPrecedent Author:Annabelle Selldorf
“All clients think that they are architects.” ThinkingArchitectClientsAnnabelle Author:Annabelle Selldorf
“When everything is perfectly orderly and understandable, there has to be one thing that puts everything into question.” One ThingOrderly Author:Annabelle Selldorf
“One of the things I've always loved about New York is there is so much precedent for ornament on industrial buildings.” New YorkBuildingOrnamentsPrecedent Author:Annabelle Selldorf
“I think when you look at architectural photography it doesn't help to have piles of old clothes lying on the floor. Architectural photography sets up an artifice.” ThinkingLooksHelpingLyingPhotographyClothesArtificeOld ClothesLying On The Floor Author:Annabelle Selldorf
“I'm not so interested in technology for technology's sake. I don't need incredibly sophisticated climate-control systems. And I'm absolutely amazed at the time people spend exchanging messages; I don't have a lot of time left over for those things.” PeopleNeedsLeftTechnologyMessagesClimateSakeSophisticatedAmazedExchangingTime Left Author:Annabelle Selldorf
“I never like things that don't look nice. It's really that simple.” LooksSimpleNice Author:Annabelle Selldorf
“I know I'm old-fashioned, but there's just something about the act of looking at books versus taking in information on a screen, which is so one-dimensional. There's a sense of ownership that you have with books, a physical connection.” KnowsBookInformationConnectionsScreensOwnershipVersusOld Fashioned Author:Annabelle Selldorf
“I remember, as a young architect, people always talked about I. M. Pei's concrete. He had a particular specification no one else knew.” PeopleRememberYoungParticularArchitectConcreteSpecifications Author:Annabelle Selldorf
“When you have rules to abide by, does that curtail you as a designer, or set you free? People think of classical architecture visually, but I think the brilliant part of it is actually spatial.” PeopleThinkingDoeArchitectureBrilliantDesignerSpatial Author:Annabelle Selldorf
“Tension is an interesting quality - and architecture must have it. There should be elements of the inexplicable, the mysterious, and the poetic in something that is perfectly rational.” ShouldInterestingQualityElementsArchitectureRationalMysteriousTensionPoeticInexplicable Author:Annabelle Selldorf
“There's no architect who doesn't want to build a library - and I am no different. With so much scrutiny now attached to reading - because of technology and how we approach it as a social activity - that is a very exciting area in architecture.” WantDifferentReadingSocialTechnologyActivityApproachAreasExcitingLibraryArchitectureArchitectScrutiny Author:Annabelle Selldorf
“The secret of good architecture is having more than meets the eye.” EyeSecretArchitectureMore Than Meets The Eye Author:Annabelle Selldorf
