ABSTRACT
This chapter traces how a passive reading of the building as text can lead to an active experience mediated by the building's ornaments at work. His different uses of the Bassae capital propel us to consider his rich architectural approach to ornaments, as Cockerell's buildings remain the best testimony to his approach to ornamentation. Charles Robert Cockerell agreed with the French theoretician that Egyptian architecture was limited by its direct translation from the written language to the language of architecture. John Ruskin praised the Gothic style, mourning the medieval architecture practices that effectively reflected the soul and everyday life of the craftsmen who carved its surfaces. The Taylorian Institute, completed in the 1840s, was intended as both museum and library. In conclusion, the reviewer generally noted Cockerell's uncommon treatment of ornaments: 'Much liberality has been shown as regards the ornamental part of the architecture.
