Vinduesformen

Vinduesformen is a Danish architectural term that refers to the form, arrangement, and proportions of window openings on a building’s façade, also known as fenestration. The concept encompasses how individual windows are sized, shaped, and grouped, as well as how they are aligned horizontally and vertically across the facade. Vinduesformen influences the façade’s visual rhythm, balance, and legibility, as well as interior daylight, ventilation, and perceptual quality from the street.

Architectural analysis of vinduesformen considers several elements: the size and proportion of panes, the use of mullions or transoms, the spacing between window units, and how windows are organized into bays or modules. It also addresses the relationship between windows and other façade elements such as doors, pilasters, cornices, or perforated screens, and how these decisions reflect stylistic or functional aims—whether classical symmetry, functionalist clarity, or contemporary modularity. In climate-sensitive design, vinduesformen also interacts with solar gain, shading, and energy performance.

Historically and in contemporary practice, vinduesformen is used to evaluate how a building engages with its surroundings and how light is distributed interiors. In Danish architectural discourse, it serves as a lens to understand stylistic transitions—from traditional, orderly fenestration to more expansive glazing in modernism and beyond—while remaining a practical tool for façade design and reconstruction.