“I genuinely find it difficult to think of places that I'd never want to see again. It might be because part of my career has been concerned with writing about topography.” ThinkingWantWritingHas BeensMightDifficultCareersConcernedTopography Author:Jonathan Meades
“I think the only remotely interesting drug was acid. I had a slightly peculiar attitude towards it I think. Just about everything about hippydom I hated.” ThinkingInterestingAttitudeDrugHatedPeculiarAcid Author:Jonathan Meades
“I think in space or music or art or literature of any kind there has to be some kind of void where the viewer or the spectator or the listener or the reader can insert themselves into it, and there is a certain kind of architectural space which is totalitarian, which does not allow you to do that.” ThinkingKindDoeArtCertainLiteratureSpaceReaderVoidListenersViewersSpectatorsInsert Author:Jonathan Meades
“I think that cheap music often does make you dream more than more serious music, whether that's serious music by Beethoven or Miles Davis or Pink Floyd... if the Floyd ever did serious music, which I seriously doubt.” IfsThinkingDoeDreamDoubtSeriousMiles Author:Jonathan Meades
“I like irrational things. I like scenarios where I can think, 'It would be great if at this point we could do x.' And there doesn't have to be a reason for 'x'.” IfsThinkingI CanReasonWould BeIrrationalScenarios Author:Jonathan Meades
“I don't think things necessarily should have a meaning. If stuff has a meaning then why do [writing] about it? If you're trying to say, 'Tall buildings are great' why not just leave it at that: "Tall buildings are great."” IfsThinkingShouldWritingTryingStuffBuildingShould HaveWhy NotTallTall Buildings Author:Jonathan Meades
“In creating a building, architects do think they're making the world a better place. And then they hope to make the world an even better place by making another thing which will be even bigger than the last thing... and it is part of the pathology of being an architect to believe thus, and they do believe it, despite all the evidence to the contrary.” ThinkingWorldBelieveLastsBuildingCreatingEvidenceBiggerContraryDespiteArchitectBetter PlacePathology Author:Jonathan Meades
“Vertigo doesn't apply in planes for some reason. You think it's some kind of magic and you don't know how it's keeping you up, but when you're on a cliff top it's a different matter.” ThinkingKnowsKindDifferentMatterReasonKnow HowMagicPlanesCliffsVertigo Author:Jonathan Meades
“Going on things like rollercoasters is not really up my street I guess. I don't feel like I need to do stunts. I'm too scared and I don't think it's my job.” ThinkingNeedsFeelsJobsStreetsScared Author:Jonathan Meades
“At any point in the world's history most architecture is going to be bad but I think there's been a collective mentality since the late Conservative years - the end of Thatcher/start of Major and certainly continued throughout New Labour and continuing now - that new is necessarily better, so there is this neophilia which isn't the vanguard of progress, it's just the vanguard of the construction industry enjoying itself.” ThinkingWorldYearsEndsEnjoyProgressIndustryLateMajorsConservativeArchitectureLabourCollectivesConstructionMentalityContinuingVanguardConstruction Industry Author:Jonathan Meades
“I think television is a medium which has the potential to do great things but has been traduced by these... terrible people who rise through the ranks.” PeopleThinkingHas BeensTelevisionTerribleGreat ThingsMediums Author:Jonathan Meades
“I think the French agonise more about being French, I don't think English think about being English that much. I think the Scottish think about being Scottish and the Welsh think about being Welsh, but the English don't really care. But the French think about it all the time, it's an absolute preoccupation.” ThinkingCareAbsolutesScottishPreoccupationWelsh Author:Jonathan Meades
“I don't know about virtual world, I think it's more a kind of parallel world. I think the advantages and disadvantages of technology are hugely exaggerated. It doesn't make that much difference. Sure if you've got a mobile phone, you use that over your landline. But I think that life goes on and we absorb stuff.” ThinkingWorldKindTechnologyOver YouLife Goes On Author:Jonathan Meades
