" Why Architecture Matters " by Paul Goldberger

First, Goldberger continued to talk about the Pantheon and how buildings have a common shape and its' common shape was circles. You can see it in the sphere and collums. Then, Goldberger mentioned the glass pyramid at the Louvre Museum in Paris. The pyramid was a modern introduction to the modern space. It was a more industrialized design than the royal palace. As the criticizers began to slash Pei, he argued that the shape was one of the oldest shapes and only the materials were modern : glass and metal. Pei was right and Goldberger states that "the pyramid creates an elegant punctuation mark in the middle of the courtyard". The pyramid is able to function well because of its' size. It's big enough to hold its' own and serve as an entrance to the museum yet small enough not to overpower the museum surrounding it. So, overall Goldberger is trying to say that the glass pyramid is beautiful based on its' function, firmness, and beauty.

 Goldberger next talked about the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. The notion of the design was to create a casino hotel with a pyramid theme. The pyramid was bigger and fit everything in it. It states simple shapes can be a procrustean bed for architecture. I concluded that the glass pyramid is more elegant and full of beauty than the Luxor Hotel.