Pantheon of Wonder

Essay

This is the 'Pantheon of Wonder', a journal with over 550+ essays on the poetic design of architecture, art, music, and meaning. It is a growing chronicle of over 25 years of research and innovation by Maria Lorena Lehman that helps you develop your creative projects for advanced beauty, function, and transcendent experience.

Philip Johnson on Great Architecture

by Maria Lorena Lehman

Architectural Design

All architecture is shelter, all great architecture is the design of space that contains, cuddles, exalts, or stimulates the persons in that space. — Philip Johnson

What is Great Architecture?

Buildings are all over the place, but not all buildings are architecture. In the above quote, Philip Johnson talks about the point where a building becomes great architecture, taking an occupant to another level where a space actually “touches” a person. Through the senses, emotion, cognition and even spiritual moments — a great building has qualities that “move” you.

I think that as architects we should strive to achieve such qualities in our work, going beyond the programmatic to reach a type of language that speaks through our style. Great architecture most usually exhibits this type of quality, conveying to occupants in renewed ways or simply reminding them of something they have felt before.

Either way, great architecture taps into human experience — uncovering and creating that which inspires and often stirs our soul.

Image Credit: © bee721 | Flickr

RETURN TO JOURNAL

Continue the Conversation

If this essay stirred a question, illuminated an idea, or touched something deeper in your own creative journey, I invite you to continue the conversation.

Each month, I reserve a small number of private one-on-one conversations for readers seeking thoughtful guidance and deeper dialogue around creativity, architecture, music, meaning, purpose, or the work they feel called to bring into the world.

These are not coaching sessions, business consultations, or productivity workshops. They are dedicated spaces for reflection, creative guidance, intellectual exploration, and discerning what comes next.

People often bring:

• A creative project or new venture

• Questions of purpose and calling

• Architecture, art, music, or writing pursuits

• Career transitions and life crossroads

• Ideas they wish to develop more deeply

• Simply a desire for meaningful conversation

Whether you are an artist, designer, architect, composer, writer, educator, founder, or lifelong learner, our conversation will be shaped around what matters most to you.

A thoughtful exchange of ideas, questions, and possibilities.

RESERVE A CONVERSATION

Limited availability each month.

Warmly,

Maria Lorena Lehman

Founder of MLL ATELIER

Author of PANTHEON OF WONDER