Architectural Shapes: Windows

Architectural Shapes: Windows is the second book of the Architectural Shapes series. The book introduces windows of all shapes and forms.

The window is the most commercialized aspect of a building, despite it being an accessory element to it. Windows go beyond performing functions such as lighting and ventilation, and they are also an important design element that determines the facial expression of the building and dictates the atmosphere.

Initially, the author took pictures of simply cute windows. Then she took pictures of windows of various sizes and shapes, because they were so small, they were diamond-shaped, they were open without glass, the way they opened and closed was unique, the scenery outside the window was beautiful, and because the scenery inside the window was cozy.

142 windows are recorded in this book, ‘Architectural Shapes: Windows’. 131 windows from Korea, and 11 windows overseas(Japan, Hong Kong & Argentina). The author wanted to capture the windows of old Korean neighborhoods as much as possible.

133 windows are viewed from outside, and 9 viewed from inside the building.

A window, like a wall, is a boundary that divides the inside and the outside, but it is also a passage through which light, wind, and eyes come and go.

The 28 photos in the latter half of the book show the rhythm and pattern created when several windows line up in a row. “Even if the window itself does not show any particular beauty or quaintness, the order in succession remains in my memory one by one.” (Italo Calvino, <Invisible Cities>. All 142 windows in ‘Architectural Shapes: Window’ are beloved by the author, but she has a favorite too.