In a continuation of the principles of architectural urbanism as proposed in her essay 'Rome is the Ancient New York', Diane Lewis examines the architect's ability to turn lead into gold along with the price that the devil, in his various epochal manifestations, extracts for this art. The lecture is given in parallel to Lewis's article 'Beat the Devil', concerning the philosophic effects of the work of Mies van der Rohe on the contemporary critique of architecture and on her own work. Diane Lewis founded her own practice in 1982. Her work has been extensively documented and includes a diverse range of urban programmes - from a home for a basketball foundation in the South Bronx to residences, private libraries, art galleries, museums and housing. She has also worked on several collaborative projects with artists such as Carl Andre, Vito Acconci, and Antoni Miralda. Lewis is Professor of Architecture at the Cooper Union, New York.