David Rockwell Quotations

Portable designs have the power to transform unused public spaces into dynamic environments that build and invite communal experiences.

The design of a restaurant should embrace the identity of the chef, the nature of the cuisine, and the context of the restaurant itself.

The color and spectacle of Mexico's streets sparked my interest in community driven space and experience, a passion that I began to develop while studying architecture at Syracuse University and then at the Architectural Association School in London. Having been immersed in such a diverse array of lively environments, it would be impossible for me not to use these memories and experiences as inspiration for my work.

Play and transformation were a bit part of my childhood - using whatever materials were at our disposal, my brothers and I would constantly build and create fantasy worlds.

My work is strongly rooted in place and memory, in personal, formative experiences that took shape within very different environments.

Good restaurant design is about achieving equilibrium between the food, service, and design - in effect, telling a complete story.

Technology should be used to create unforgettable experiences that enhance our natural and built environments, transforming them in newly meaningful ways.

You have to think of a restaurant as a series of impressions. But what makes my job so great is there's no one answer that's right for every restaurant.

What we've done (in Detroit) is created a movie set so it gives movie-goers a chance to enter a space that feels like a sound stage and in fact, is very sound-stage-like in how it's set up, ... But the set that you're entering into is a collage of both existing and historical Detroit buildings.

The key is to have a kind of core DNA - a series of pieces that are part of the look of the restaurant, that change and morph based on conditions in each case.