To Bay or Not to Bay

One of the most misunderstood windows of all time has to be the oriel. Itself a type of bay window, it is not just a bay window. Although the term is generally (but incorrectly) applied to any bay window, oriels are a bit like the upper crust – literally – in that they are found exclusively on upper floors, supported from below by a corbel or bracket, while a bay or bowed window may occur at all levels.

These windows were most characteristic in the late medieval and early Renaissance period in England, although found in France and Germany as well. A favorite in civic and domestic buildings, they often adorned structures of the Tudor Revival and Gothic Revival styles.

One must deduce that Oriel College of Oxford, one of the oldest English-language universities in the world, derived its moniker from oriel-enhanced architecture. The notable faces of famous alums Roger Bacon, Duns Scotus and John Wycif must’ve peered out thoughtfully from these elegant glass panes – no doubt hoping future generations would not mistake them for bays.

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