Elements of Architecture 'Wall of Windows'

An exhibition by the Brooking National Architectural Museum

An exhibition which tells the story of British architecture through four centuries of window designs, has opened at the University of Brighton Gallery.

The Brighton display, which runs until 10 April, follows major success at the Venice Biennale and includes windows that range from a 17th century wrought-iron casement window from a Hampshire farmhouse to a 1960s window from Portsmouth’s Tricorn Centre,

The exhibits featured in ‘The Elements of Architecture – Wall of Windows’ exhibition are a selection of pieces from the larger Brooking Collection which includes examples of a range of architectural details; from doors and stained glass to ironmongery and staircases.

The collection’s founder, the architectural historian and consultant Charles Brooking, has amassed the details over five decades, often rescuing items from buildings facing demolition. He has been collecting since boyhood and first established a small museum in his own home, before creating a trust in 1985 to preserve his collection for posterity. His aim is to preserve the physical detail of the UK’s built environment, and demonstrate the craftsmanship involved.

Exhibits also include a pine window from Windsor Castle designed by Sir Jeffry Wyatville, a Gothic Revival window from the Tower of London and details associated with well-known figures such as Sir Alfred Hitchcock and celebrated actor and playwright, David Garrick.

The ‘Wall of Windows’ featured at the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2014 as part of the larger ‘Fundamentals of Architecture’exhibition curated by the internationally renowned architect Rem Koolhaas. In the UK, the exhibition is supported by the Brighton and Hove Heritage Commission, which is providing volunteers and sponsorship. Its chairman, Roger Amerena said: “We are extremely grateful to the University of Brighton for hosting the debut of the ’Wall of Windows’ in Britain. The exhibition had huge international support during its five months in Venice and we hope the Brighton viewing will be the start of its tour round the UK. What the exhibition shows is the wide diversity of styles and methods used for fenestration in this country over the centuries, which are being lost to modern heat conservation. Different uses of materials and skills and craftsmanship are all recorded in the collection making it probably the only true National Archive.”

Please also note, the exhibition will be closed on Good Friday and Easter Monday.

Image: The Wall of Windows