The article deals with light in architecture. It brings the division of the topic into two poles, called classical and Gothic, which each represent a different approach to working with daylight. The classical approach, which has its origins in classical antiquity around the Mediterranean, shows the world around us through an illuminated building. The second, the Gothic approach, which originated in medieval Europe, shows the world around us through the transcendence of this world. This research has no art-historical ambitions; it is not interested in styles or historical development. It wants to show that through light architecture reveals a broader relationship to the world. The text uses the philosophical thinking of the philosopher Rémi Brague, who tries to appeal that we as people ought to once again perceive the world as good, being and life as good. He believes that it is important for the people to continue the adventure of human life — it is necessary to persuade each generation to take the next one. It is not just a theoretical, philosophical question, but a matter of life. Architecture does not seem to have much to say about this. But it is on matters of light and architecture that I am trying to demonstrate that it has. Architecture has always expressed people’s relationship to the world, the belief that the world is good, beautiful and pleasant to live. The two poles mentioned are only approximate, but each in its own way shows that the world is good in its diversity and adapted to man (or man to the world). The topic also touches on the current phenomenon of transferring all human affairs, where possible, to an online version. It is certainly a necessary process, but the matter of light in architecture shows that we are bodily beings, and therefore our life will always be in this material physical body.

This publication was supported by The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports - Institutional Support for Long Term Development of Research Organizations — Charles University, Faculty of Humanities (2020), e.g. (2020).