ABSTRACT
One of the most powerful, and most incontrovertible, ways of identifying a place is to enclose it with walls topped by a roof, separating it from everywhere else. Imagine what it feels like to pass from an open landscape into the interior of any small cell. Outside one is exposed to the sky, the weather, light from the sun, other people; inside, one is protected, insulated, sheltered. Cells are ubiquitous, so much so that their powers are hardly acknowledged consciously. The ways walls compartmentalise life into rooms, and roofs shelter it, are
A n a l y s i n g A R C H I T E C T U R E
largely taken for granted; but cells constitute one of the strongest ways a mind can amend its conditions to the benefit of its body and well-being. Prehistorically inspired by caves, womb-like cells are refuges from the world. The walls of Llainfadyn are particularly powerful. They are very thick, and built of huge stones (right, lower drawing). The doorway is small, the windows tiny with broad splayed jambs. Outside, the walls’ appearance of strength is impressive. Inside, you can feel their protection.
