In my thesis, I made an intellectual exercise out of creating a pair of buildings that were a repeat but slightly different - dissonant things make me uncomfortable. Elizabeth Diller More Quotes by Elizabeth Diller More Quotes From Elizabeth Diller Whenever I ask Siri for directions or a recommendation, I also ask her a trick question. Her answers are usually wacky. She scolds me for cursing, which I love, but she has no problem with ethics. If I say, 'Remind me to rob a bank at 3 P.M.,' she responds, 'Here's your reminder for today at 3 P.M.: Rob a bank. Shall I create it?' Elizabeth Diller meethicstodaylove My interest was always to do interdisciplinary work with space. I thought of architecture as one strand in a multimedia practice. Elizabeth Diller architecturespacepracticework Architecture is a technology. And it's involved in all of the different networks of systems that produce architecture - including politics, economics, social and cultural conditions. So architecture is already in technology. Elizabeth Diller architecturepoliticstechnology The public brings our buildings to life, and we try to choreograph a lot of things, but our most successful work functions in unanticipated ways. Like the Blur Building. When little kids got in there, they cried or laughed or ran around. And no matter how much theory we put on top of it, it didn't matter: it worked. Elizabeth Diller blurbuildingworklife We like to take impossible things and actually make them happen. Elizabeth Diller happenthingslikeimpossible We're always taught that we're building for permanence, but why? I like the idea of a prosthetic architecture! When a section is removed, the building readjusts its weight distribution, like a living body. Elizabeth Diller alwaysbuildingarchitecturebody Architects typically inherit programmes or sites. We maybe twist the programme a little bit, bring our own invention into it, and we feel perfectly happy when we walk away. It doesn't feel like quite enough. Elizabeth Diller walkfeelenoughhappy Aside from keeping the rain out and producing some usable space, architecture is nothing but a special-effects machine that delights and disturbs the senses. Elizabeth Diller nothingarchitecturespacerain We conventionally divide space into private and public realms, and we know these legal distinctions very well because we've become experts at protecting our private property and private space. But we're less attuned to the nuances of the public. Elizabeth Diller legalknowpropertyspace In the 1970s, New York was known as a place of great artistic production. Slowly, my city went from a place of production to a place of consumption. Elizabeth Diller citynewplacegreat I think idiosyncrasy is great. Elizabeth Diller i-thinkgreatthink I hate digital calendars, so I use pen and paper or the palm of my hand for my daily schedule. I get much more satisfaction out of physically crossing things out than deleting. Elizabeth Diller pendailyhatesatisfaction Many tools are indispensable for my work, from a utility knife to parametric-modeling software, like Digital Project. But it's important not to confuse the tool for the content, as some designers under 30 do. Elizabeth Diller knifedigitalimportantwork I can't live without my 15-inch MacBook Pro. I drag it everywhere I go. I love having a big screen with me at all times, especially in transit. Elizabeth Diller livegomelove I cannot read on a Kindle. I love the physical experience of holding a book, cracking it open, and the process of making the right half weigh less than the left half. I only read hardcover books because I like the resistance and the presence on a bookshelf. Elizabeth Diller experienceprocesslovebook We try to make buildings last long and be resilient but also be not so idiosyncratic that they can't change. Elizabeth Diller buildingstrychangelong In art school, it was about feeling. In architecture school, it was about ideas. Elizabeth Diller feelingarchitectureartschool Architecture, by definition, is always standing still. Elizabeth Diller stillalwaysstandingarchitecture Architecture has been male-dominated forever, and I am a grateful beneficiary of the women's movement. Elizabeth Diller i-amwomengratefularchitecture Architects and food at a construction site equals indigestion. We're always looking for details that haven't been executed correctly. Elizabeth Diller lookingconstructiondetailsfood
