Moshe Safdie

“We live in a complicated, oppressive world with enormous cities and vast populations, and I try to contribute by making it more light and open and calm.”

“I think you need to, as an architect, understand the essence of a place and create a building that feels like it resonates with the culture of a place. So my buildings in India or in Kansas City or in Arkansas or in Singapore, they come out different because the places are so different.”

“Countries and places have a history, a story, and a culture.”

“My identity is always at the forefront, and I also think that every article that is written about me refers to me as an Israeli architect.”

“I think the general public's response to my projects is very strong. You can be an intellectual and say that popularity detracts from architectural quality. On the other hand, you can see in the public's identification something very positive.”

“A painter, a sculptor, a writer, they can express freely. They don't affect society as a whole. We build buildings that have a purpose, that stay there for hundreds of years or decades.”

“I'm completely taken and impressed by the planning authority of Singapore and its Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). It's the most cutting-edge agency in the world. They have very effective guidelines for development, and they review design as it evolves.”

“A house is not a machine! It's something else for living - but not a machine.”

“He who seeks truth shall find beauty. He who seeks beauty shall find vanity. He who seeks order shall find gratification. He who seeks gratification shall be disappointed. He who considers himself the servant of his fellow beings shall find the joy of self-expression. He who seeks self-expression shall fall into the pit of arrogance.”

“I grew up in a country where the environment was very social justice-oriented.”

“Architecture should be rooted in the past, and yet be part of our own time and forward looking.”

“Architecture is changing faster than some other professions.”

“Architecture has joined the world of fashion, but fashion is passing and architecture is timeless.”

“I want my buildings to take root and look as if they've always been there. It isn't about pastiche or adapting what's already there. It's about trying to blend the future and the past.”

“Who knows, maybe I am simply a talented architect?”