william clark is an art historian who has made new contributions to our knowledge of saint-denis and chartres. the new style of architecture is characterized by these tall, thin columns, their foliage capitals that lift up the ceiling height, a network of pointed arches and rib vau@ts. these things had been used before. 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. romanesque architecture 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 the wall as a surface has disappeared and s been replaced by translucent screens of glass. all this w due to the influence of one of the st eraordinary peoe 12th-ntury frce the man who coeived the w building abbot sur of saint-denis. suger be