Peter Zumthor
Peter Zumthor
Peter Zumthoris a Swiss architect whose work is frequently described as uncompromising and minimalist. Though managing a relatively small firm, he is the winner of the 2009 Pritzker Prize and 2013 RIBA Royal Gold Medal...
NationalitySwiss
ProfessionArchitect
Date of Birth26 April 1943
CountrySwitzerland
simple space mountain
If you look at the Earth without architecture, its sometimes a little bit unpleasant. So there is this basic human need to do shelter in the broadest sense of the word, whether its a movie theater or a simple log cabin in the mountains. This is the core of architecture: To provide a space for human beings.
quiet plant company
My relationship to plants becomes closer and closer. They make me quiet; I like to be in their company.
letting-go order care
Architecture to me is whole. I cannot say I only care about this 25% and the other 75% I let go... it's just I want to work the way I want to work. In my shop, you can order certain things and other things you cannot. They are not available.
intelligent people together
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.
commitment names together
I need a close contact to the client, whoever it is, and a commitment of the client to go out and do a process together. I want to do the best for him. I need his respect and his patience. I want to work with a sophisticated person who's interested in a good building and not in my name.
comforting done lines
The bottom line may be that my inventing buildings is, indeed, a very private kind of activity. But it's done to be shared. It is comforting and consoling. From the reactions I get I can see I'm not doing something strange.
artist together architect
If, early on, you know how things are put together, then you can build. The architect is in charge of making - he is not an artist.
museums bigs drag
Small museums are great. Big museums are a drag.
home hands years
I grew up in a craftsman's home, where things were done with our own hands. I did cabinetmaking for four years and I hated it.
basic bit cabin core earth human log provide shelter theater whether
If you look at the Earth without architecture, it's sometimes a little bit unpleasant. So there is this basic human need to do shelter in the broadest sense of the word, whether it's a movie theater or a simple log cabin in the mountains. This is the core of architecture: To provide a space for human beings.
buildings interested mainly vehicles
I'm not mainly interested in what buildings mean as symbols or vehicles for ideas.
built near
I've built two wooden houses near Vals. I built them for my wife. Those were private projects.
buildings core
My buildings should have an emotional core - a space which, in itself, has an emotional nice feeling.
architecture
Architecture has its place in the concrete world. This is where it exists. This is where it makes its statement.