Illustrated Architecture Dictionary

Oriel

A  window projecting from the wall, cantilevered or carried on brackets or corbeling. Unlike a bay, an oriel does not extend to the ground.        

Oriel, in architecture, a bay window in an upper story, supported from below by projecting corbels, or brackets of stone or wood. Usually semi-hexagonal or rectangular in plan, oriels first became prevalent early in the 15th century and were a popular way of making the most of sunlight in a northern country such as Great Britain. They were often placed over gateways or entrances to manor houses and public buildings of the late Gothic and Tudor periods. They became popular again during the revivals of these styles in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Encyclopaedia Britannica (online January 2020)

Derived from Anglo-Norman oriell and post-classical Latin oriolum, both meaning gallery or porch

Found in medieval English residential architecture, Tudor Revival, Gothic Revival and Queen Anne styles

A bow window is a curved bay window


Examples from Buffalo architecture:

Other examples:


Photos and their arrangement © 2002 Chuck LaChiusa
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