“Proportions are what makes the old Greek temples classic in their beau...” — Arne Jacobsen Quote

Proportions are what makes the old Greek temples classic in their beauty. They are like huge blocks, from which the air has been literally hewn out between the columns.

Now, the downside to conservation is that so much is done for the public, which almost always mars the environment that one wanted to conserve.

In addressing a task, one almost always has several possible options, sometimes only a few, and they may all be practical and functional. But they lack the aesthetic aspect that raises it to architecture.

I have no philosophy, my favourite thing is sitting in the studio.

I absorbed as many Impressionist paintings as I could, in Parisian museums and in many museums in the United States and in books, looking for clues to architecture, clothing, settings.

This is a look, a part of Australia we don't see. The wide streets, the architecture, the embassies, the space. It's really beautiful and there's a feel to Canberra that is different to any other city.

I can't go to a restaurant or a hotel now without looking at the architecture and wondering how it would look if a character jumped off something - or crashed through it.

I had it drummed into me from an early age that personalizing everything was not a good thing. Besides, I don't think that kind of commodity-driven system makes for the most productive architecture.