Posted on 12/11/2015
Beyond their utilitarian function, windows and doors set up an emotional expectation on the part of visitors as to what they'll encounter within a building, while, at the same time, negotiating the relation that users inside have with the exterior world. Little wonder that so many architects are engaged in a perennial experimentation with these fundamental structural elements.
In their most mundane form, windows provide buildings with light, ventilation and afford views of the outside world. Ideally, like a carefully composed landscape painting, they frame views creatively rather than arbitrarily by looking out, say, on to a particularly picturesque spot. Doors to the outside world provide buildings with exits and entrances, protect them from ...