The first time I became aware of modernism was through the work of Le Corbusier. I first laid my eyes on his monograph in the art section of a secondhand bookstore. It was too expensive to buy right away, so I saved my money and bought it a month later. I read it over and over, tracing every drawing until the pages turned black.

I was in my late teens when I first saw the Imperial hotel by Frank Lloyd Wright, at the end of the 50s. I happened upon the building during a trip to Tokyo. It was well before the beginning of my career as an architect, and I had not yet heard of Wright. I was overwhelmed by the immense beauty and richness of the space. My response to the building was a purely emotional one as I had no knowledge of the technical and cultural complexities of architecture. I was shocked yet intrigued to know that architecture could induce a feeling akin to exploring a whole new world...