Every majestic building in the western tradition is an archetype of authority. They occupy the land with an air of assurance and command: not only do they contain the instruments of institutional power but the powerful facades project their authority by means of a strong ornamental language of weight and support. Those gorgeous fluted columns with their articulated capitals and bases, the mighty cornices and volutes, the pediments and entablatures, all conspire to enhance the force of one another’s presence.… Continued
