"Great architecture of the past was always clear. SFMOMA is still a simple building to understand." — Mario Botta

A museum is a spiritual place. People lower their voices when they get close to art.

Buildings in modern cities have lost their metaphoric aspect. Much contemporary architecture is very fragmented and busy on the outside. It's like a skin or a skull, but you don't know what's inside.

In 1996, I took advantage of some favourable circumstances to propose to the state of the Ticino Canton the foundation of the Academy of Architecture and, with it, an Italian-speaking university in Switzerland.

To me it was fascinating, the idea of going to university and studying a subject - architecture - that I had already faced in building some small houses.