Detailed design of the structural columns

What we reached falls far short of the great beings in the history of art: the stones of St. Mark’s, the window glass of Chartres, the brass rubbings of Thailand, the domes of Isphahan. Nevertheless in some small measure, by reaching for the I, we did manage to pluck, from that ground, some small portion of a thing which is like self, which speaks back, which makes one feel one’s ordinary association with the brick, and tile, and concrete, and with the gravel on the ground.

If you look at the arches, the capitals, the rooms, the terraces, the ornaments, the windows, and the ceiling of the main dining room, I believe you will feel some measure of the I was reached in some of them. And because of this, standing in the building, you do feel relatedness with much of it.

(Pages 126-129)