Oriel window

Etymology

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

History

Oriel windows became popular in the 15th century. They allowed more sunlight into a room than did conventional windows, and were therefore popular in northern countries such as England. They also could increase the usable space in a house without changing the footprint of the building.

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. 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

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.
• Oriel Chambers in Liverpool was a very controversial building when it was built, featuring an entire façade of glass oriel windows.
• Schaffhausen in Switzerland is also called "the city of 171 oriel windows" (), followed by St. Gallen with 111 oriel windows.

Gallery

File:2014 Kłodzko, pl. Chrobrego 13 03.JPG|Oriel windows with elaborate detailing, Kłodzko, Poland File:Barnard Castle's round tower, 2007.jpg|A 15th-century oriel window at Barnard Castle in County Durham, England. File:Myrtle Street Flats (San Francisco).JPG|Oriel windows in San Francisco, California, USA File:Prior Bolton Oriel Window.jpg|16th-century oriel window in the City of London, Priory Church of St Bartholomew the Great File:Bradford City Hall by J Illingworth.jpg|19th-century neo-Gothic oriel window on Bradford City Hall File:Bruges - Bay window.JPG|Masonry oriel window above a canal supported by corbelling, Bruges, Belgium File:Perssonska gården (Gäddan 1) 2012-09-27 14-12-05.jpg|Ground-floor oriel window, Perssonska gården, Hedemora, Sweden File:Oriel chambers.jpg|Oriel Chambers, Liverpool, by Peter Ellis, 1864 File:Maison bleue.jpg| Massive half timbered oriel window on a pre-1581 house, Bouxwiller, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France File:Świdwin wlz.JPG|Large masonry oriel window of District Office in Świdwin, Poland File:Gave Aspe Oloron-Sainte-Marie.jpg|Oriel windows with brackets in Oloron-Sainte-Marie, France File:Exeter College Bay Window in Turl Street.jpg|An oriel window in Turl Street belonging to Exeter College, Oxford File:Vitoria casco viejo2.jpg|Vitoria-Gasteiz File:Schaffhausen - Haus zum Goldenen Ochsen 02.jpg|Zum Goldenen Ochsen oriel in Schaffhausen, Switzerland

References

References

1. "What is an oriel window – Architecture Glossary".
2. "Oriel {{!}} Gothic Revival, Windows & Glazing {{!}} Britannica".
3. "What Are Those Beautiful Victorian Bay Windows?".
4. ''[[University Challenge]]'', BBC TV. Broadcast 8 August 2016
5. "History". Oriel Chambers.
6. "Schaffhausen". Lake Constance Tourism.
7. (16 November 2021). "111 Oriels".