The building, the legend, and the spirituality

This remarkable book presents to the student as well as to the general reader what lies in most of the ((classical)) architecture of symbolism. Indeed, true architecture is not limited to the engineering of space but also concretely expresses myths and sources of thought in the human subconscious. ((Architecture, Myth, and Spirituality)) opens a clear and intelligent window to what for many among us is an enclosed world. It was ((Architecture, Myth, and Spirituality))'s first book, and despite being met with great enthusiasm and reprinted for the second time within the first year of its publication, the press did not share the public's excitement. Critics saw a threat in Lithaby's resort to stories from a glorious, vague past in an era that embraced the principles of ideal modernity based on abstract concepts of development and progress. The media's indifference to the book did not diminish its significant impact, as it played a role in stimulating the movement to revive Byzantine heritage, which appeared in the late 19th century, represented by John Francis Bentley's Westminster Cathedral for the Roman Catholics. As for us today, having moved beyond the phase of infatuation with the modern movement in architecture, the book remains an enjoyable and inspiring read.