---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I did not want to do stereotypical…"
description: "\"I did not want to do stereotypical buildings.\" — Santiago Calatrava"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/santiago-calatrava-3749_buildings_i-did-not-want-to-do-stereotypical-build_2037776.png"
---

#  I did not want to do stereotypical buildings.

![“I did not want to do stereotypical buildings.” quote by Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/santiago-calatrava-3749_buildings_i-did-not-want-to-do-stereotypical-build_2037776.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/santiago-calatrava-3749_buildings_i-did-not-want-to-do-stereotypical-build_2037776.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/santiago-calatrava-3749_buildings_i-did-not-want-to-do-stereotypical-build_2037776.png)

> “I did not want to do stereotypical buildings.”

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The architect rejects conventional building designs, seeking innovative, expressive structures.

**In simple terms:** Rejecting conventional designs.

Key Takeaway

Pursue innovative architecture.

Themes

architecture creativity innovation design expression

Mood

inspirational critical

Type

architectural creative

When to use this quote

- urban planning
- public spaces
- cultural landmarks
- educational facilities

Key Concepts

modernism structural art design philosophy

Questions to Reflect On

- What drives you to break architectural norms?
- How do you balance aesthetics with functionality?

A Different Perspective

Innovation may face practical constraints and costs.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Buildings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buildings/) [Did](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did/) [Did Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/did-want/) [Engineering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/engineering/) [Stereotypical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stereotypical/) [Stereotypical Buildings](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/stereotypical-buildings-3775421/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Stereotypical](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-stereotypical-3703462/)

## Related quotes

> [I don't want to be that stereotypical black girl that's mad all the time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rico-nasty/i-don-t-want-to-be-that-stereotypical-black-girl-that-s-mad-all-the/)

[Rico Nasty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rico-nasty/)

> [While I am open to doing a Gujarati film, I don't want to be a part of anything stereotypical. It has to be something…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/vatsal-sheth/while-i-am-open-to-doing-a-gujarati-film-i-don-t-want-to-be-a-part-of/)

[Vatsal Sheth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/vatsal-sheth/)

> [I just want to build the best buildings. It's not about me, it's about the buildings, creating a space where society can gather and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/i-just-want-to-build-the-best-buildings-it-s-not-about-me-it-s-about/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [I became a fanatic of the architecture of Le Corbusier and I visited almost all his buildings and read all his books. Only later…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/i-became-a-fanatic-of-the-architecture-of-le-corbusier-and-i-visited/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [And exciting buildings are fine periodically.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/minoru-yamasaki/and-exciting-buildings-are-fine-periodically/)

[Minoru Yamasaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/minoru-yamasaki/)

> [Unfortunately, we are not painters and authors, where we can do something in isolation. We require a lot of money to create what we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-favreau/unfortunately-we-are-not-painters-and-authors-where-we-can-do/)

[Jon Favreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-favreau/)

> [My buildings will be my legacy... they will speak for me long after I'm gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-morgan/my-buildings-will-be-my-legacy-they-will-speak-for-me-long-after-i-m/)

[Julia Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-morgan/)

> [“The structure of life I have described in buildings - the structure which I believe to be objective - is deeply and inextricably connected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-thomsen-brits/the-structure-of-life-i-have-described-in-buildings-the-structure/)

[Louisa Thomsen Brits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-thomsen-brits/)

> [I happen to love buildings, and my passion is bringing people together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-neumann/i-happen-to-love-buildings-and-my-passion-is-bringing-people-together/)

[Adam Neumann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-neumann/)

> [Every time I've flown an aircraft, or visited a steelworks, or watched a panel-beater at work, I've learned something new that can be applied…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/norman-foster/every-time-i-ve-flown-an-aircraft-or-visited-a-steelworks-or-watched/)

[Norman Foster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/norman-foster/)

> [I love the construction process and it is always important because we try to experiment and do something new, so the builders are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/i-love-the-construction-process-and-it-is-always-important-because-we/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [The bones of my architecture are very much related to the structure, to the physical fact of how a building can stand up; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-bones-of-my-architecture-are-very-much-related-to-the-structure/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [I have had a wide range of projects to choose from. That has saved me from donning a stereotypical image.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/priyanshu-chatterjee/i-have-had-a-wide-range-of-projects-to-choose-from-that-has-saved-me/)

[Priyanshu Chatterjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/priyanshu-chatterjee/)

> [I'm a Christian-libertarian-environmentalist-capitalist-lunatic. It's a humorous way for me to describe that I'm not stereotypical.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joel-salatin/i-m-a-christian-libertarian-environmentalist-capitalist-lunatic-it-s/)

[Joel Salatin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joel-salatin/)

> [Filmmakers have role for everyone today. There are no stereotypical roles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lara-dutta/filmmakers-have-role-for-everyone-today-there-are-no-stereotypical/)

[Lara Dutta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lara-dutta/)

## More by Santiago Calatrava

> [The bones of my architecture are very much related to the structure, to the physical fact of how a building can stand up; it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-bones-of-my-architecture-are-very-much-related-to-the-structure/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [The architect is very interesting because the architect is the commander, meaning the one who commands all the workers. The architect is also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-architect-is-very-interesting-because-the-architect-is-the/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [I remember, many years ago, coming over the Brooklyn Bridge in the night and seeing the skyline of Manhattan, with the Twin Towers. This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/i-remember-many-years-ago-coming-over-the-brooklyn-bridge-in-the/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [I've never been interested in pure movement or pure stability, but in the unstable.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/i-ve-never-been-interested-in-pure-movement-or-pure-stability-but-in/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [The concept of an "architect" is one of the oldest professions in the world. Whereas, some professions, such as a "lawyer", have their roots…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-concept-of-an-architect-is-one-of-the-oldest-professions-in-the/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [There is a change in the view about how condominiums are designed. People used to make prototype apartments and reproduce these boxes hundreds and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/there-is-a-change-in-the-view-about-how-condominiums-are-designed/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [Bridges represent archetypal problems. They are artifacts that bring you across or around an obstacle. So they have an unbelievable force.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/bridges-represent-archetypal-problems-they-are-artifacts-that-bring/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [There was a wish to get something exceptional, ... I also wanted to deliver something technically unique.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/there-was-a-wish-to-get-something-exceptional-i-also-wanted-to/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [I always considered the role of teaching to be very noble and relevant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/i-always-considered-the-role-of-teaching-to-be-very-noble-and-relevant/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [When I work on sculpture, I don't have to worry about function. When I work on a piece of architecture, I must think about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/when-i-work-on-sculpture-i-don-t-have-to-worry-about-function-when-i/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [The Taj Mahal is a monument to love in all cultures.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/the-taj-mahal-is-a-monument-to-love-in-all-cultures/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [Many of the architects I admire have given the best of themselves as they mature. I'm hoping to do the same.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/many-of-the-architects-i-admire-have-given-the-best-of-themselves-as/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [I love the construction process and it is always important because we try to experiment and do something new, so the builders are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/i-love-the-construction-process-and-it-is-always-important-because-we/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [You start a project as a young person and then at the end you are another person. You are ready to go for your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/you-start-a-project-as-a-young-person-and-then-at-the-end-you-are/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

> [Being an architect is like playing piano, you learn to play to admire how well the other guys play piano.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/being-an-architect-is-like-playing-piano-you-learn-to-play-to-admire/)

[Santiago Calatrava](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

[Explore all 123 Santiago Calatrava quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/)

## More Buildings quotes

> [I always thought if I was born 2000 years earlier, I would be a monk, probably carving a monastery or some giant pantheon buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenova-chen/i-always-thought-if-i-was-born-2000-years-earlier-i-would-be-a-monk/)

[Jenova Chen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenova-chen/)

> [Seoul will strictly limit the total greenhouse gas emissions from buildings and expand the construction of zero-energy buildings.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/park-won-soon/seoul-will-strictly-limit-the-total-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from/)

[Park Won-soon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/park-won-soon/)

> [I grew up in a big sky country. Then I lived in Manhattan, where you can only see the sky between buildings, and then…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/linda-ronstadt/i-grew-up-in-a-big-sky-country-then-i-lived-in-manhattan-where-you/)

[Linda Ronstadt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/linda-ronstadt/)

> [The human animal originally came from out-of-doors. When spring begins to move in his bones, he just must get out again. Moreover, as civilization,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herbert-hoover/the-human-animal-originally-came-from-out-of-doors-when-spring-begins/)

[Herbert Hoover](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herbert-hoover/)

> [“The structure of life I have described in buildings - the structure which I believe to be objective - is deeply and inextricably connected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/louisa-thomsen-brits/the-structure-of-life-i-have-described-in-buildings-the-structure/)

[Louisa Thomsen Brits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/louisa-thomsen-brits/)

> [Extreme weather threatens our energy and electric grid, federal buildings, transportation infrastructure, access to natural resources, public health, our relationships across the globe, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matt-cartwright/extreme-weather-threatens-our-energy-and-electric-grid-federal/)

[Matt Cartwright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matt-cartwright/)

> [In New York, we're always confined with spaces. Our restaurants are difficult to navigate as cooks and to operate. We fight against the buildings…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-chang/in-new-york-we-re-always-confined-with-spaces-our-restaurants-are/)

[David Chang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-chang/)

> [Most buildings, whether they're Gothic cathedrals or Romanesque ones, were high tech for their time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-rogers/most-buildings-whether-they-re-gothic-cathedrals-or-romanesque-ones/)

[Richard Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-rogers/)

> [I don't measure success by how many buildings have my name on it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/i-don-t-measure-success-by-how-many-buildings-have-my-name-on-it/)

[Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/)

> [I don't like to talk about sustainability, because sometimes I see green buildings that don't appear any different from those in the past.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ma-yansong/i-don-t-like-to-talk-about-sustainability-because-sometimes-i-see/)

[Ma Yansong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ma-yansong/)

> [Once I tried to make a standardization of staircases. Probably that is one of the oldest of the standardizations. Of course, we design new…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alvar-aalto/once-i-tried-to-make-a-standardization-of-staircases-probably-that-is/)

[Alvar Aalto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alvar-aalto/)

> [My buildings will be my legacy... they will speak for me long after I'm gone.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julia-morgan/my-buildings-will-be-my-legacy-they-will-speak-for-me-long-after-i-m/)

[Julia Morgan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julia-morgan/)

> [When I first came to New York City, what I was thrilled about was not the Empire State Building, or the Statue of Liberty;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-gibbons/when-i-first-came-to-new-york-city-what-i-was-thrilled-about-was-not/)

[Dave Gibbons](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-gibbons/)

> [I come from Canada, and maternity leave is six months to a year, and they also have paternity leave, and I think that there's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cobie-smulders/i-come-from-canada-and-maternity-leave-is-six-months-to-a-year-and/)

[Cobie Smulders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cobie-smulders/)

> [I love to walk through the streets of Jesus Maria and Pueblo Libre. The Spanish colonial buildings are in bright colors, two stories high,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-alarcon/i-love-to-walk-through-the-streets-of-jesus-maria-and-pueblo-libre/)

[Daniel Alarcon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-alarcon/)

[Browse all 376 Buildings quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/buildings/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "I did not want to do stereotypical buildings.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "Santiago Calatrava"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/i-did-not-want-to-do-stereotypical-buildings/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Buildings"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/i-did-not-want-to-do-stereotypical-buildings/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/santiago-calatrava-3749_buildings_i-did-not-want-to-do-stereotypical-build_2037776.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/santiago-calatrava-3749_buildings_i-did-not-want-to-do-stereotypical-build_2037776.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e54/santiago-calatrava-3749_buildings_i-did-not-want-to-do-stereotypical-build_2037776.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“I did not want to do stereotypical buildings.” — Santiago Calatrava",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "Santiago Calatrava",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-calatrava/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "I did not want to do...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/i-did-not-want-to-do-stereotypical-buildings/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-calatrava/i-did-not-want-to-do-stereotypical-buildings/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```