the subtle qualities of architecture

"Why is it, do you imagine, that so many people want to live in the lovely old conservation areas of our towns and cities -- the bits that weren’t knocked down in the orgies of destruction in the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s -- or to visit them while abroad on their holidays? Because their essential characteristics of harmonious proportions, of human scale and hierarchy, strike a common chord within our hearts. These are the subtle qualities of architecture that so many people find instinctively beautiful. But their origins lie in shared human psychology; which -- as new research is confirming -- is intimately connected to human well-being."

-- excerpted from Remarks of HRH Prince of Wales (pdf file) on Accepting the Vincent Scully Prize (Nov. 7, 2005)

Note: Having offered three quotes from Vincent Scully this past week, I thought it might be appropriate to follow-up with brief excerpts from remarks of Prince Charles on receiving the Vincent Scully Prize in Washington, D.C. in 2005.