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Looking at windows

Windows are the eyes of buildings and probably their most noticeable feature. Elegant, well-proportioned or distinctive and they make for beautiful architecture. Ugly, badly designed or boarded-up and they turn a building into a misery. The view in is almost as important as the view out and the best windows illuminate both exterior and interior, especially in public buildings. There was a tax on windows in England from 1696 to 1861, glass was very expensive until the latter half of the 19th century and to have a house with numerous large windows was a sign of great wealth.  It is now common to glaze the entire frontages of buildings, but this often results in a bland uniformity and lack of character. Attention to detail is at least as vital to good window design as for the other main external features of architecture. The pictures in this set were taken in Brighton, London, St Ives, Worthing, Norwich and Gloucestershire between 1983 and 2003.

Interesting message on a boarded-up basement window in Brighton in July 1992 (image 874-1)

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Copyright © David Gray 2000-2003.  All rights reserved.