My first buildings, when I was about 30, were rejected for aesthetic reasons. Peter Zumthor aestheticbuildingreason Change image and share on social
I am convinced that a good building must be capable of absorbing the traces of human life and taking on a specific richness... I think of the patina of age on materials, of innumerable small scratches on surfaces, of varnish that has grown dull and brittle, and of edges polished by use. Peter Zumthor absorbagebrittle share on social
You feel a certain way in a glass or concrete or limestone building. It has an effect on your skin - the same with plywood or veneer, or solid timber. Wood doesn't steal energy from your body the way glass and concrete steal heat. When it's hot, a wood house feels cooler than a concrete one, and when it's cold, the other way around. Peter Zumthor bodybuildcold share on social
If you're lucky, and a building succeeds, the real product has many more dimensions than you can ever imagine. You have the sun, the light, the rain, the birds, the feel. Peter Zumthor birdbuilddimension Change image and share on social
Normally, architects render a service. They implement what other people want. This is not what I do. I like to develop the use of the building together with the client, in a process, so that as we go along we become more intelligent. Peter Zumthor architectbuildclient share on social
I can't be bought with money. If someone calls me and asks me to work for them for three or four years, and they'll pay me well to build their vacation home, I ask myself why I should work three or four years on something like that. Peter Zumthor askbuildbuy share on social
I've built two wooden houses near Vals. I built them for my wife. Those were private projects. Peter Zumthor buildhavehouse Change image and share on social
I think the chance of finding beauty is higher if you don't work on it directly. Beauty in architecture is driven by practicality. This is what you learn from studying the old townscapes of the Swiss farmers. Peter Zumthor architecturebeautychance share on social
I design for the use of a building and the place and for the people who use it... the reputation for arrogance comes because when work is offered to me, I look whether I can find a genuine interest in quality. Peter Zumthor arrogancebuilddesign share on social
What I try to do is the art of building, and the art of building is the art of construction; it is not only about forms and shapes and images. Peter Zumthor artbuildconstruction Change image and share on social