what's new at saint-denis is the sense of the organization of the space. the divisions are played down in favor of a unified space that flows from one side of the building to the other. the differences from romanesque architecture are clear. romanesquerchitecture had massive, heavy, thick walls and divided spaces. here at saint-denis, the divisions between units, like the walls between the radiating chapels, have simply disappeared in favor of this vast expanse of space that seems to float around us, and it's filled with light. the wall as a surface has disappeared and has been replaced by translucent screens of glass. all this was due to the influence of one of the st eordinary peoe 12th-century frce the man who coeived the new building abbot suger of saint-denis. suger believed the light flooding the choir through the stned-gls windows becomes divine light a revelation of the spirit of god. thus it was possible he said, to create in a church a strange region of the universe suspended between earth and heaven. suger also placed gold and jeweled objects ev