“In Liége, Belgium, [Santiago] Calatrava was one of seven contestants in an architectural competition to design a highspeed-train station. His rivals came in teams armed with examples of their past work; Calatrava showed up alone, with his paintbrush, and won the commission.” – from “Winged Victories” by Rebecca Mead in the New Yorker, Sept. 1, 2008

It not about the past; it’s about the future. It’s not “build me something like you’ve already done” but “build me something from your imagination.” Calatrava came with a paintbrush and a vision, not a PowerPoint of his projects.

The challenge isn’t putting together the slickest presentation. The challenge is having the imagination and the ability to converse with clients about what their future will be. Those are the paintings that will win commissions.

(Image above from Calatrava Works his Magic at the AIA Convention)