Oriels

An oriel window is a form of bay window which projects from the main wall of a building but does not reach to the ground. Supported by corbels, brackets or similar, an oriel window is most commonly found projecting from an upper floor but is also sometimes used on the ground floor.

Oriel windows are seen in Arab architecture in the form of mashrabiya. In Islamic culture these windows and balconies project from the street front of houses, providing an area in which women could peer out and see the activities below while remaining invisible.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word "oriel" is derived from Anglo-Norman oriell and post-classical Latin oriolum, both meaning "gallery" or "porch", perhaps from classical Latin aulaeum, "curtain".

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.

Oriel window located in Grande Île, Strasbourg

Ground floor oriel window, Perssonska gården, Hedemora, Sweden

Oriel Chambers, Liverpool, by Peter Ellis, 1864

Massive half timbered oriel window on a pre-1581 house, Bouxwiller, Bas-Rhin, Alsace, France

Massive oriel window of District Office in Świdwin, Poland

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Wikipedia