Almost unanimously, the latest Pritzker laureate’s most admired forte is the sensitivity with which he operates on existing buildings, where he enhances the patina of time while applying his refined geometry, always knowing exactly when to express it energetically and when, on the contrary, to keep it silent. In this way his intervention becomes part of the history of buildings, and just as the Goldberg Variations are an opus of both Bach and Glenn Gould, the European buildings featured here are by their original authors – whether modern or classical masters, lesser known architects, or anonymous builders – but also by this British paragon of discipline and community engagement.