"We woke up at the beginning of the new century and finally discovered that the earth is fragile and must be defended. The first thing to defend is land. There is a nostalgic, almost romantic idea that it is more ecological to make a small building – forget it: that is the worst way to consume land. This is the reason that cities grow. It is more socially correct to intensify the city and free up space on the ground. The city is fragile and vulnerable, so we have to be careful."
Renzo Piano Architect of The Shard