There is still a real need for good quality architecture, not paper architecture, but the real stuff.
Interpretation
This quote emphasizes the importance of practical and functional architecture over theoretical designs that lack substance.
Peter Zumthor's quote highlights the ongoing necessity for high-quality architecture that serves its purpose and positively impacts its environment. He distinguishes between 'good quality architecture' that is tangible and beneficial to people's lives, and 'paper architecture', which refers to theoretical designs that may look good on paper but fail to manifest in reality or fulfill their intended roles.
In practice
In a presentation about urban development, you might cite this quote to emphasize the importance of functional buildings.
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.
In order to design buildings with a sensuous connection to life, one must think in a way that goes far beyond form and construction.
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.
Designing is a matter of concentration. You go deep into what you want to do. It's about intensive research, really. The concentration is warm and intimate and like the fire inside the earth - intense but not distorted. You can go to a place, really feel it in your heart. It's actually a beautiful feeling.
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.
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.
I loved writing a book in which, in some ways, it's very, very classical, and in some ways I'm breaking lots of rules about what you can do and what you can't do.
If we start putting music out constantly where people don't think no more, people go crazy. We're gonna lose the love of heart, of soul. And if the world lose that, I think the world is doomed.
A good producer brings out the best in the artist he's working with. You shouldn't be able to listen to something and say, 'So-and-so produced this album.'
I cannot absorb living in a world where I have an Oscar for best actress and Denzel doesn't have one for best actor.
All architecture has a public nature, I believe, so I would like to make a public space.
I've always believed that there's an amazing number of things you can do through a rock'n'roll song and that you can do serious writing in a rock song if you can somehow do it without losing the beat.
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