Daylight Robbery - London's Blocked-Up Windows
What started as a fascination for the visuals of the city's bricked-up windows has evolved into an investigation into the role that light and air contribute to our well-being. The exhibition Daylight Robbery features 80 photos of the blocked-up windows in the city.
The Great Fire of London marked an important turning point in the design of windows. This resulted in a change in the architecture and the introduction of the sash window.
What is a window?
A window is a opening in a wall, door or roof to allow air and light. It is often framed with glass panes mounted on the frame, allowing opening and closing. A window may also be described as a window aperture or window light, or window pane.
Sash windows are the most common type of window in London. These are windows that open vertically that open using an opening mechanism that slides. They are still used in older homes, but are less common in more recent constructions. Modern double glazed windows are typically constructed of uPVC and can still be opened in the same way as traditional sash windows however with a much better insulation.
Sash windows are distinctive and were initially created as a result of the narrow streets of London and the fact that buildings were crowded together. They are distinguished by two sashes that slide up and down inside the frame and then overlap when they are open. The movement of the sash is assisted by a system of pulleys and weights (known as counter balances) that can be concealed or visible in the frame.
Sash windows can be opened either by sliding them open, or by cranking them up like doors. They can be single-hung, double-hung or casement. A casement window can open outward and can have one or more sashes that are held in place or tilt to help with cleaning. Certain casement windows are hinged and swing in or out like an awning, or be opened by turning the crank.
Sash windows can be an attractive design element in any house and it's easy to understand why they were so popular for centuries. They have shortcomings, and one of them is that they are difficult to secure in light of security concerns in the modern world. We recommend replacing your old sash window with the most recent tilt-and-turn models that are more effective in keeping intruders away.
The Great Fire of London
The Great Fire of London was an enormous fire that was a major threat to the city's centre on the 2nd September 1666. When the fire was finally completely slowed down on Thursday, the 6th, only four-fifths the city was left standing. It destroyed 13,000 homes, 89 churches, and 52 Guild Halls. Thousands of people were left homeless. The fire was believed to be started by a Pudding Lane bakery. The blaze spread quickly thanks to warehouses filled with combustible materials and a strong easterly wind. It is estimated that approximately 16 people were killed.
After the fire that followed, King Charles II began to rebuild the city. Sir Christopher Wren was commissioned to design a new St Paul's Cathedral, and he also laid the foundations for a number of other churches throughout the city. He also constructed wider roads and made sure that the buildings were constructed of bricks instead of timber. As a result, the city was significantly less and crowded.
Sash windows have been part of London architecture for many centuries. They are well-known due to their perfect blend of traditional design and modern technology. However, it took a while for them to get to where they are today.
The first sash windows were invented in the 17th Century and included a vertically sliding bar and a fixed window sash. This made the window extend out into the room, but not into the sky. Through time, the design of the sash was altered and it morphed into an open-plan window. The sash remains a well-known and widely used window in different types of houses and apartments.
Jen Pedler chose a trompe l'oeil window in Smithfield, which depicts the return of a sailor to his family. "I enjoy it because it portrays the possibility of a scene to occur. london windows 's a very atmospheric place and it's easy to imagine what might be happening in the room behind it," she said.
Andy Summers is an artist who has captured more than 80 bricked-up windows within the City of London for his ongoing project Daylight Robbery. He claims that he was initially interested in the design of the windows, but he has realized that they have an important historical significance.
Sash windows
As an area with a history as long and rich as London's, this capital is home to some amazing period structures. Sash windows are usually associated with historical properties. From grand townhouses to quaint terraces you can see them all over the streets of the capital city.
Despite their popularity traditional sash windows don't always give the best impression in contemporary times. They're known for letting draughts into, being difficult to close or open and causing their mechanisms to jam. However, a new double-glazed sash window by Lomax + Wood can be refreshing, providing a high-quality timber solution that's easy to use and has a high energy efficiency.
It's not known who invented the sash windows, although English craftsmen have the strongest claim to being responsible. Following the Great Fire of London, they are also credited for changing building regulations to substitute wider windows with frames that were smaller, that were less prone to catch fire. These recessed frames are what give Georgian and Victorian facades their distinctive appearance.
The sash itself is comprised of a few glass panes that are encased in glazing bars or muntins. Originally, windows were made of several panes, since glass was expensive. If one of them broke, replacing it would be expensive. Today, the cost of glass has dropped drastically, so windows are usually comprised of a single pane, with astragal bars inserted to give the appearance of smaller panes.
Sash windows are opened by sliding or using the box sash. They can also be opened from both the top and bottom that is referred to as a double-hung sash. The two sashes are anchored in vertical grooves inside the frame by a sash cord, and balanced by weights that are hidden within the frame of the box.
Many sash windows are over 100-years-old and may be experiencing issues such as rattles or draughts. However we can replace them with modern, double-glazed windows that are FENSA registered and meet stringent building regulations regarding thermal performance, security, and acoustic insulation.
Bricked up windows
As you walk through the streets of the old England You may have noticed that windows are sometimes replaced with bricks. Although this might seem odd, there's a plausible reason for it, and it's related to money. In 1696, there was a window tax imposed which charged homeowners more according to the number of windows their houses had. Also known as the 'daylight robbery the tax was so detested that people went to extraordinary lengths to avoid it.
One option was to construct their homes with a small amount of windows, or without windows altogether and others would build them up. The window-blocking practice was a short-lived one and the 'daylight-robbery tax was eventually eliminated in 1851. It's still common to see windows with bricks on the exterior of older buildings, and you can usually tell whether or not they were originally windows by searching for a lintel and sill that match to where the glass would have been.
Another way to find out is to look for the stepped-back line within the brickwork, which resembles lines that the glass could have taken up on either side. Look to see if all the bricks have the identical color. If there is a gap where the window should be, it is likely that the glass was not blocked.
The Daylight Robbery, an exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, is worth visiting for those who are interested in knowing more about these windows. The exhibition looks at the effect light and air has on our wellbeing and it also explores some of the ways in which we can improve our health.
The exhibit does have its flaws, chiefly in claiming that'many' of the houses that were featured had their windows blasted off to get around the Georgian window tax (and not just because of an overall dislike of the tax). It also fails to consider the complexity of health issues and health, especially after the introduction of the window tax, and during the so-called 'lockdown' period.