Oriel window

File:Maison 8 rue des Pucelles à Strasbourg (2).jpg

Oriel window, Grande Île, Strasbourg

An oriel window is a form of bay window which protrudes from the main wall of a building but does not reach to the ground.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Supported by corbels, brackets, or similar cantilevers, an oriel window generally projects from an upper floor, but is also sometimes used on the ground floor.

Etymology

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the term oriel is derived from Anglo-Norman Template:Lang and Late Latin Template:Lang, both meaning "gallery" or "porch", perhaps from Classical Latin Template:Lang ("curtain").

History

Oriel windows became popular in the 15th century. They allowed more sunlight into a room compared to conventional flat windows, and were therefore popular in northern countries such as England.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They also could increase the usable space in a house without changing the footprint of the building.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Oriel windows are seen in Arab architecture in the form of mashrabiya and in Turkish are known as şahnişin or cumba. In Islamic culture, these windows and balconies project from the street-front of a house, providing an area in which women could peer out and see the activities below whilst remaining out of line-of-sight.<ref> KENZARI, B. and ELSHESHTAWY, Y. (2003), The Ambiguous Veil: On Transparency, the Mashrabiy'ya, and Architecture. Journal of Architectural Education, 56: 17–25. doi: 10.1162/104648803321672924</ref>

Notable examples

• Oriel College, Oxford, took its name from a balcony or oriel window forming a feature of a building which occupied the site the college now stands on.<ref>University Challenge, BBC TV. Broadcast 8 August 2016</ref>
• Oriel Chambers in Liverpool was a very controversial building when it was built, featuring an entire façade of glass oriel windows.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Gallery

• Oriel windows with elaborate detailing, Kłodzko, Poland
  Oriel windows with elaborate detailing, Kłodzko, Poland
• A 15th-century oriel window at Barnard Castle in County Durham, England.
  A 15th-century oriel window at Barnard Castle in County Durham, England.
• Oriel windows in San Francisco, California, USA
  Oriel windows in San Francisco, California, USA
• 16th-century oriel window in the City of London, Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great
  16th-century oriel window in the City of London, Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great
• 19th-century neo-Gothic oriel window on Bradford City Hall
  19th-century neo-Gothic oriel window on Bradford City Hall
• Masonry oriel window above a canal supported by corbelling, Bruges, Belgium
  Masonry oriel window above a canal supported by corbelling, Bruges, Belgium
• Ground-floor oriel window, Perssonska gården, Hedemora, Sweden
  Ground-floor oriel window, Perssonska gården, Hedemora, Sweden
• Oriel Chambers, Liverpool, by Peter Ellis, 1864
  Oriel Chambers, Liverpool, by Peter Ellis, 1864
• Massive half timbered oriel window on a pre-1581 house, Bouxwiller, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France
  Massive half timbered oriel window on a pre-1581 house, Bouxwiller, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France
• Large masonry oriel window of District Office in Świdwin, Poland
  Large masonry oriel window of District Office in Świdwin, Poland
• Oriel windows with brackets in Oloron-Sainte-Marie, France
  Oriel windows with brackets in Oloron-Sainte-Marie, France
• An oriel window in Turl Street belonging to Exeter College, Oxford
  An oriel window in Turl Street belonging to Exeter College, Oxford
• Vitoria-Gasteiz
  Vitoria-Gasteiz

See also

• Bay window for more details
• Bow window
• Bretèche
• Turret window
• Sachnisi

External links

• Template:Commons category-inline
• Template:Cite EB1911