Building Quote by Russell Baker
“The lobbies of the new hotels and the Pan American Building exhale a chill as from the unopened Pharaonic tombs... And in their marble labyrinths there is an evil presence that hates warmth and sunlight.”
About This Quote
Source Essay: The New Yorker, 1960s (unspecified)
The author likens modern hotel lobbies to ancient tombs, suggesting they harbor a cold, hostile force that shuns light.
In simple terms: Modern spaces can feel oppressive and unwelcoming.
Key Takeaway
Recognize and humanize cold, impersonal environments.
Themes
urban design
architecture
psychology
Mood
contemplative
critical
Type
architectural
psychological
When to use this quote
- hotel design
- interior lighting
- public space planning
Key Concepts
alienation
modernism
spatial anxiety
Questions to Reflect On
- What design changes could warm such spaces?
- How does architecture affect mood?
A Different Perspective
May overstate metaphorical negativity.
![“T]he church is not a place. It's not a building. It's not a preaching point. It's not a spiritual service provider. It's a people - the new covenant, blood-bought people of God. That's why Paul said, 'Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her' (Eph. 5:25). He didn't give himself up for a…” quote by Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/7a4/mark-dever-3175_blood_t-he-church-is-not-a-place-it-s-not-a-bu_3297.jpg)
