Rafael Vinoly

“The most important thing about Jazz at Lincoln Center is the fact that it's the first time that perhaps the most important art form in American culture has a place to really exhibit itself and dedicated to its own particular conditions of performance.”

“Buildings are forms of performances.”

“Architects feel empowered to give opinions about politics and sociology and philosophy without knowing much about it. Kind of in the same way that they think they can design furniture or fashion or utensils for dining.”

“I think architects tend to believe that they can almost do anything, which is a wonderful characteristic, but in some cases you just fall flat.”

“Music, first of all, is completely about abstraction, which is exactly what architecture is not. In a way, it has been incredibly constructive to know what true abstraction is. So you don't fall into the trap of thinking that what you do is abstract.”

“I'm an expert on surfing the channels, so I'm always able to find something strange. Or I watch C-Span. I can watch a conference on oceanography, or whatever, for hours.”

“I play only classical music. My pianos are my only big indulgence, but they're a necessity. When I'm playing the piano is literally the only time I can be completely abstract and disconnected from the regular world and yet be connected - to my music.”

“In the theater, everything is ephemeral. Everything is almost weightless and without a very clear definition of how you made it.”