Introducing the new 2017 Loudoun County High School look. (Also note missing snowbirds) |
By making the windows similar to the Georgian section's, you can now pick out a lot more detail and differences between the windows.
New 2017 (left), and Old (2005/2006 replication of 1954 windows). |
There's also a difference of width of brick space between each window. In the Georgian Section, there's a brick width of almost 3 bricks. In the 1950's section, the brick width is two bricks.
Even the window sill is a different height in each section (Georgian: 2 bricks high; 1950's: 1 1/2 bricks high). If the Georgian and 1950's sections were originally supposed to have the same windows, shouldn't their dimensions have matched?
Dimensions aside, the new window muntins (the white grid) are of a different scale and rate from the Georgian section's. The Georgian section's are rectangular, tall and thin, while the new windows are perfectly square. If one more vertical muntin could have been added to the new windows, it might fit in better with the Georgian section's windows.
Picture from early August 2017 |
1950's section c. 2010. The vents along the bottom row are on the windows third from the left and second from the right. |
Is it winking, or does it have a lazy eye? |
The windows can open! |
One design feature I do like is that these windows can still be opened. That caught me by surprise. These windows didn't have a screen on them, so they didn't look like they were made to be opened. But this also points out yet another difference in window designs. These windows angle outwards to open, while the Georgian section windows move up and down.
As my first post said, there was so much work and effort that went into replicating the look of the original Georgian windows when they were replaced in 2005/2006. It is baffling to me that the same energy did not go into trying to match these new windows with the older ones. It doesn't look cohesive. It achieves its goal the same way that red delicious and granny smith apples are similar -- they're still apples.
What this all boils down to is that these new windows did not succeed in architecturally unifying the facade. They only seem to help highlight all the differences. There are still two different window designs on the front of this building.
LCHS Windows Saga:
Windows Without Historic Integrity - Loudoun County High School
Windows Without Narrative Integrity - Loudoun County High School
Windows Without Business Integrity - Loudoun County High School
Enjoy other LCHS Articles from the same author:
No comments:
Post a Comment