My fascination with beautiful windows





So much can be said of a "simply beautiful" window. Be it in the detailed craft, the view, or both - a beautiful window invokes and conjures personal sentiment and in most instances calls for a moment of inner reflection- of a beautiful kind. There’s certainly something profoundly beautiful, about a beautiful window! Fortunately the world has many to showcase.

While one can only think the inspiration behind beautiful windows found in places of worship has something to do with man’s yearning for heavenly and divine connection, stained glass windows have owned religions venues of all faiths. This could be seen in Spain’s La Sagrada Familia, Brazil’s Santuario Dom Bosc and Iran’s Nasir Al Mulk Mosque. Westminster Abbey reigns in color of intricate stained glass detail. The most spectacular detail has been seen in stain glass skylight type windows and delicately placed windows that usher in light. This being said, beautiful windows are not limited to stained glass only. Kashmir, Pakistan and Rajasthan display and array of finely interwoven wooden detailed windows, finished with paper mache and stained glass. An age old craft. The window styles have not been limited to just the glass but also to the actual frame detail and which throw into a splendid view that reminds us of the beauty behind the human spirit ...and eyes that “saw” the windows – before they were even considered.

Malls, libraries, galleries, hotels, educational institutes, fashion houses, castles, forts, opera houses and even the odd pub have worked with window detail. To name a few iconic can be called out in Mexico’s Gran Hotel, Barcelona’s Palau De La Musica, Linderman Library at Lehigh University and Galleries Lafayette. The entire world can be said to have atleast one iconic "window statement" at either of the above venues however again, this can be also said to be seen in residential homes like that of Frank Lloyd Wright home (Kenneth Laurent).

While there may be many a nouveau window or window frame detail and style found randomly while traveling the globe, there are some definite  “must see” windows. This windows bucket list is possibly a tick for a design student, an architecturally inspired seeker, a nostalgic soul ..a  philosophical artist or an everyday anyone. Whatever the reason, you will surely be left in awe when you get to experience St. Clements Church Hastings- Sussex, Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian- Rio, Siena Cathedral Siena Italy, Blue Mosque Istanbul-Turkey, St Nicolaaskerk Church Amsterdam, Coventry Cathedral-Coventry UK, Reims Cathedral France, Lloyd Street Synagogue, Salisbury Cathedral- Salisbury, Aix Cathedral Aix-en-Provence France, Notre Dame Cathedral Paris, Temple Emanu-El NYC, Gloucester Cathedral-UK, Grace Cathedral- San Fran, Zeitz MOCAA Cape Town ...and various Rajasthani and Pakistani palaces. 
Equally, there are many residences in Japan and Tanzania whose promises of window detail are of a multi-sensory magnificence. Perhaps insight into the “windows of their worlds”.

Then there’s the truly magnificent God’s Window in Mpumalanga and to scale, NASA’s WINDOW TO THE WORLD.

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