"You might say that when you step inside, you're entering a honorific space, but that's something totally different than experiencing it. And in architecture the experience comes first. That has the deepest effect on us"

Thom Mayne is recommending that when we get in a space, we might recognize it as a special or honorable place, but that is not the same as actually experiencing it. He believes that architecture should be developed with the experience of the user in mind, as this has the most extensive effect on us. He is stressing the significance of producing an area that is not only visually pleasing, however also one that is comfortable and pleasurable to be in. He is suggesting that the experience of a space should be the primary focus of any architectural design, as this is what will have the most lasting influence on us.