This interview of Daniel Libeskind was conducted by Ralph Kent, who won this opportunity through the IMNO Get in Their Shoes Campaign. Daniel Libeskind is the co-author of the book, "The Space of Encounter."
R:What other sort of inspirations do you use to draw upon when you are starting off a design?
D:You know I… I think inspiration is kind of global… it’s not about you know looking into a book or going out and meditating or…or just a ….a its really about the world you know.The…. the inspiration in the world the life… of the world, the beauty, the complexity the…the…the the workings of the world and I I think if you’re awake and alive that’s what inspires you,that’s what inspires me . Its not… of course there are specific experiences which each project generates, but really you have to begin with celebration of life.
R:Sure I imagine Newyork’s a good place to draw pensive inspiration
Laughs
D:Yeah absolutely
R:aaa…aaa, when you started off aaa…when you started off your career huh as an architect that is ummmm which architects most inspired you ?Which did you look to?
D:You know I certainly looked to…to history of architecture, the great architects Michael Angelo, Bernine, Bormine , the Greek temples, the pyramids but also because I …you know living in New York .NewYork itself that… that that everyday the life of Newyork.People on the streets,the different nationalities,the the vitality of of the every day and and that’s of course part of the inspiration.
R:Right and now who do you… do you really admire whose work do you always look to and sort of look see what they are doing?
I: You know I think inspiration is not something which is a just progression in time. I would say it’s a cross section in time. And so it cuts across… so. You know I might think that an architect working say in 14th century India is as alive to me or more alive to me than you know the architect next door to my office. So, again its about the cross section in time its kind of to find really what is eternal in time.
R:OK. So So how do you feel .aaaaa….about being I think… obviously you are..you tend to labeled along with some people like Sahardeed and Frank Gehry as Deconstructors .How does that you make feel? Do you think it is too much of a broad term to to cover all your various works?
D: Well, I wish that was a false term you know I was in an exhibition with Sahar and with with Frank Garry at the meseum of Modern Art and that was the name of the exhibit but I I felt it was a very poor name because architecture is about construction. It’s never about deconstruction.Its about making something
R: huh huh.
D: And so I felt this is a good term for Philosophy or for other things but really a very poor term for architecture.
R:Right, so so How would you if I suppose would you would you not like to sort of categorize your work under a heading. Do you think it’s impossible to do that? Do you have many kind of ….
D:No I think no no I believe I believe I am a architect…contemp..contemporary architect.. ,modern you know 21st century but I certainly wouldn’t say I had anything to do with deconstruction. That’s a very obsecure philosophical term which has little to do with what I do everyday which is you know - to build buildings and to construct something.
R:Sure Hmm I was I was reading a book by Peter Zumthor recently, called” Thinking Architecture” and I I read a quote< | 
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