12 Unusual Windows With a Fresh Point of View

These houses are throwing squares and rectangles out the window in favor of angles, circles, curves and slants

Rebecca Gross January 11, 2017

Design writer and historian. I write about contemporary architecture and design, and I study cultural history through the lens of architecture, design and visual culture. I have a Masters in the History of Decorative Arts and Design from Parsons The New School for Design, New York. My latest book is called "Ornament is not a crime: Contemporary Interiors with a postmodern twist."

Design writer and historian. I write about contemporary architecture and design,... More

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Square and rectangular windows have long been the most traditional shapes in domestic architecture, with arched and pointed-arch windows seen in Gothic ecclesiastical architecture. But architects and designers today are breaking the conventional window shape without breaking the glass. These 12 interesting and unusual windows offer a fresh perspective on the world.

Sarina Denton design style coordinate

1. Irregular polygon picture window. This bay window with irregular sides and flowing, curved corners has a midcentury vibe. Deeply recessed, the window frame accommodates cushions for reading, relaxing or strumming the guitar.

Bagnato Architecture & Interiors

2. Split-circle spectacle. A split-circle window pierces the loft space of this house, which was once an Anglican church. The circle is neatly inset within the triangular space and balanced by the circular coffee table.

Read more about this house

Greenbox Architecture

3. Slanted scene. The upper volume of this two-story home is angled to project over the courtyard below. A large window on the front face of it is also slanted to follow the lines and form, while a triangular window with sliding door is on the left side, and three thin and slanted windows on the right.

Greenbox Architecture

Here are those three windows up close.

Room 11

4. Hexagon hallway. A six-sided window plays with lines and angles, just like the triple-pitched roof. The small window provides a view into the hallway. The entry to the house is the sliding door immediately to the right.

The Phil Nichols Company

5. Strip-scape. A strip of glass between two bathroom vanities extends from the floor across the roof to offer a slivered view of the landscape and sky.

Carter Williamson Architects

6. Angled aperture. What was once an old cowshed is now a contemporary family home that retains the building’s original fabric where possible. Windows run the length of the side of the house and follow the angled roof line to bring natural light into the second story.

Luigi Rosselli Architects

7. Combination casement. A deeply recessed circular window sits above a horizontal and slanted strip of windows here. The round window is in balance with the curve of the roof peak, while the slant follows the angle of the roof.

Kennedy Nolan

8. Pair of portholes. Two circular windows — one smaller, one larger — are set into this vertically paneled bedroom wall.

Kennedy Nolan

The windows are recessed from both the interior and exterior surfaces, as if they have been carved out of the wall.

Luigi Rosselli Architects

9. Curving corners. A bow window, otherwise known as a curved bay window, is a curvaceous addition to this Bondi, Australia, penthouse. It mimics and exaggerates the curve of the original brick building, while extending up and out.

Touchstone Construction Services Pty Ltd

10. Waving window. The clerestory window on this contemporary abode follows the form of the wood-lined roof with a smooth and undulating wave.

Auhaus Architecture

11. Missing-piece pane. This house is characterized by its unusual shapes and angles, which appropriately apply to the windows too. Its linear and sculptural forms were inspired, in part, by the nearby trees, as can be seen in this window with the top right corner sliced off.

Read more about this house

M. Elle Design

12. Oval outlook. A feature window in the wall behind this bed is like an oval-shaped porthole with a shutter that opens inside the house.

Tell us: Do you have an unusual or interesting window in your house? Upload a picture to the Comments below.

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