The architecture of humanism; a study in the history of taste

HUMANIST

VALUES

227

But though

we mayoverlook

it, space affectsus

andcancontrol
ourspirit; and
alarge partofthe

pleasureweobtainfromarchitecture

—

^pleasurewhich

seemsunaccountable,

orforwhichwe

donottrouble

to account—springs in reality from

space. Even

from autilitarian point

ofview, space is logically

ourend. Toencloseaspaceisthe

objectofbuilding

;

whenwebuildwedobutdetach

aconvenientquantity

ofspace,secludeitandprotectit,andallarchitecture

springsfrom thatnecessity. But

aestheticallyspace

isevenmoresupreme. The

architectmodelsinspace

asasculptorinclay. Hedesignshisspaceasawork

of

art;

that is, he attempts

through itsmeans to

exciteacertainmoodinthosewhoenterit.

Whatishismethod? Onceagainhisappealis

to

Movement./Space, infact, is libertyofmovement^

.

Thatis itsvalue tous, and_a

g

such it

e

nters our

physicalconsciousness. Weadapt

ourselvesinstinc-

tivelytothe spacesinwhichwestand,projectour-

selvesintothem,

fillthemideallywithourmovements^

Letustakethesimplestofinstances. Whenweenter

theendofa

naveandfindourselvesinalongvista

ofcolumns, webegin, almost under

compulsion,

to

walkforward: the

characterofthe spacedemands

it. Even if westand still,

the eye is drawndown

theperspective, and

we, in imagination, follow it.

The space has suggested a

movement. Once this

suggestionhasbeenset

up,everythingwhich

accords