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Modern Windows That Will Show You Whole World

Modern windows are a far cry from those framed panes we’re most familiar with. Sleek and elegant, contemporary design allows windows of not only various shapes but those featuring unusual frames. Sizes can, too, vary from tiny slender slits to the big pool-like openings.

Big Square Mirrors

Big square mirror-like windows are definitely a major trend in contemporary architecture. They feature a single large pane, and make a perfect addition to any building – old or new.

Notariaat by Atelier Vens Vanbelle
Notariaat by Atelier Vens Vanbelle
Moore Park Residence by Drew Mandel Architects
Moore Park Residence by Drew Mandel Architects
Cor-Ten House in Putney by Eldridge London
Cor-Ten House in Putney by Eldridge London
Turner House by Freadman White
Turner House by Freadman White
La Ruina Habitada
La Ruina Habitada by Jesús Castillo Olí

Besides having a flattering shape, a square window has a very contemporary vibe to it. It can make even ruins look modern.

Slightly reflective glass also makes an impact, amplifying the natural beauty of environment. Many architects choose to combine rectangular and square windows into façade puzzles that make for an unconventional look.

Protruding Windows

Protruding windows with special extending frames are another big trend in architecture right now. These don’t just add dynamic to your façade but can also throw in a few inches of space to any room.

Gablepack by AND
Gablepack by AND
F&C Kiekens by Architektuurburo Dirk Hulpia
F&C Kiekens by Architektuurburo Dirk Hulpia
Culmax Linkside windows
Culmax Linkside windows
St Kilda East House Clare Cousins Architects
St Kilda East House by Clare Cousins Architects
Dillon Residence by Chen Suchart Studio
Dillon Residence by Chen Suchart Studio

In a kitchen, such windows make for perfect window seats. In some cases, they may even become small balcony-like areas with an indoor/outdoor feel.

An extending frame is a great way to make some room for your favorite plants on a windowsill. And slit or oddly-shaped protruding windows make for amazing decorative architectural elements.

Tall & Slim Modern Windows

Tall and slim windows are mostly there to provide more natural light to a certain area. These are very popular in transitional spaces such as staircases and hallways.

Casa W41 by Warmarchitects
Casa W41 by Warmarchitects
The Lantern by Fraher Architects
The Lantern by Fraher Architects
Ribbon House by G2 Estudio
Ribbon House by G2 Estudio

Of course, tall slit windows can also find a place in a house with picturesque views. A row of these can break the picture up in a stylish way, each giving up a portion of the whole panorama.

A wider variant is a great choice for a hallway, where you usually need both visual enhancement and natural light. Such a window can often continue as a skylight.

Oddly-Shaped Modern Windows

Odd shapes and sizes are the most exciting features of modern windows. Anything is possible – from unconventional spheres to angled imaginings of an architect.

Felix Nussbaum Haus Extension
Felix Nussbaum Haus Extension by Daniel Libeskind
Hadaway House by Patkau Architects
Hadaway House by Patkau Architects
The Kite by Architecture Architecture
The Kite by Architecture Architecture
OostCampus by Carlos Arroyo
OostCampus by Carlos Arroyo

Unusual, creative forms aren’t only shaping windows. Interior architecture, window frames, and windowsills are very much affected by those forms.

These can also be quite expensive in terms of planning and building, but they definitely are impressive.

Skylights Extraordinaire

Modern skylights come in more than one shape. These incredible openings can help harvest even more daylight as well as they can bring much to home aesthetic.

Finchley Loft by Satish Jassal Architects
Finchley Loft by Satish Jassal Architects
The Ark by Bower Architecture
The Ark by Bower Architecture
House extension skylight
House extension skylight by Alma-nac

A modern skylight isn’t just an odd sloping window in the attic. The thing can be shaped as a transom, and extend from floor to ceiling as well as from wall to wall.

A window that would otherwise look pretty standard can benefit from an adjoined skylight all the while enhancing the amount of daylight in a room.

Unconventional Window Frames

Modern windows abandon those wooden frames that split the pane into small squares, obstructing lots of light. Now they protrude and extend to harvest as much daylight as possible.

Ferndene Road by Taylor Kay Architecture
Ferndene Road by Taylor Kay Architecture
Grangegorman Residence by ODOS architects
Grangegorman Residence by ODOS architects
TETRIS Social Housing and Artist Studios
TETRIS Social Housing and Artist Studios by Moussafir Architectes
Sharifi-ha House by Nextoffice - Alireza Taghaboni
Sharifi-ha House by Nextoffice – Alireza Taghaboni
Switch Building by nArchitects
Switch Building by nArchitects

Unconventional window frames also look positively attractive to the eye. A building façade full of these certainly has more detail to discern and admire.

These frames can also help turn the windows to more picturesque sides of your locale or, conversely, lessen the amount of sunlight in the room.

Modern Window Positioning

Window positioning is another important factor in a building’s appearance. Some architects prefer to visually randomize the positions of windows, while others opt for a deliberately unconventional order.

Kitchen windows
Kitchen windows via Homes to Love
Case Inlet Retreat
Case Inlet Retreat by MW Works
Haus F by Ippolito Fleitz Group
Haus F by Ippolito Fleitz Group
Spiral Window House by Alphaville Architects
Spiral Window House by Alphaville Architects
T Space by Steven Holl Architects
T Space by Steven Holl Architects

Forget a traditionally neat row of windows. Now you can see anything from the Spiral Window House to a seemingly random order of Haus F.

Of course, not only exterior architecture dictates window positioning. Sometimes it is a matter of function. T Space house creates a private escape with a tiny bottom corner window, providing just a glimpse of the outside world. Big windows under ceilings are getting more popular, because they are great at harvesting sunlight.

Window Architecture

Window architecture is more complex and yet somehow simpler than ever. There can be so many elements at play. With modern mechanisms, it’s also become quite easy to create interrupted solid surfaces like that in a Garden House (below) by DCPP Arquitectos.

Shakin' Stevens Residence by Matt Gibson Architecture + Design
Shakin’ Stevens Residence by Matt Gibson Architecture + Design
Garden House by DCPP arquitectos
Garden House by DCPP arquitectos
House in El Puerto de Santa Maria by Adolfo Perez
House in El Puerto de Santa Maria by Adolfo Perez
The Cullen Hotel by Jackson Clements Burrows
The Cullen Hotel by Jackson Clements Burrows
Galería de Cube Tube en Jinhua by SAKO Architects
Galería de Cube Tube en Jinhua by SAKO Architects

Again, anything is possible. If you want a myriad of windows in your room, you only have to tell your architect. Any area can now enjoy the virtues of windows.

A window doesn’t have to even look like one. One of the perks of modern architecture is that there are no strict rules.

Picturesque Windows

Picturesque windows are what we call the windows that open up to some breathtaking views. They are usually big, and decorate a bedroom or bathroom.

Point King Residence by HASSELL
Point King Residence by HASSELL
Sugar Bowl Residence by John Maniscalco Architecture
Sugar Bowl Residence by John Maniscalco Architecture
Bathroom window
Bathroom window via Architectural Digest

There’s no need for wall art when there is such a view outside. The only challenge is to plan a window that would capture and frame it well.

Tall walls of glass do benefit double height staircases, but you can get away with smaller sizes in other rooms.

Windows as Accents

Windows are building’s accents – that’s a fact. They create dynamic in the façade, making a house look lively and livable. Though they are mostly functional, windows can truly decorate a building.

Ripolles-Manrique House by Teo Hidalgo Nácher
Ripolles-Manrique House by Teo Hidalgo Nácher
Townhouse by Elding Oscarson
Townhouse by Elding Oscarson
House in Quinta Patino by Frederico Valsassina Arquitectos
House in Quinta Patino by Frederico Valsassina Arquitectos

Take, for example, the window from Ripolles-Manrique House. Although it allows far less light in, that angled exterior windowsill makes an attractive and dynamic accent in the exterior.

Modern windows can really be used to enhance your new house. There is no limit to what they can look like. And with the modern security technology, you can afford many more fragile elements in your architecture.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

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