What is an Empire window?
An Empire window is a tall, narrow sash window with large rectangular panes and slender glazing bars, typical of the Empire style between 1800 and 1830. It differs from earlier styles by its larger panes, strict profiles and glazing beads instead of round timber bars.
Form and composition
A typical Empire window has:
- Sash frame — usually a T-shaped or four-light sash window
- Two to six large panes per sash — larger glass meant fewer bars
- Slim glazing bars — flat and straight, sometimes with a fine bead
- Top light — sometimes a fanlight or semi-circular light
- Sill — simple, often natural stone
- Plain transom mouldings — without carving
- Tall proportions — often 1:2 or more
Difference from earlier styles
| Period | Glazing pattern | Glass |
|---|---|---|
| Louis XV | Many small panes, slim bars | Mouth-blown |
| Louis XVI | Smaller panes, lighter profile | Mouth-blown, partly mechanical |
| Empire | Large panes, few bars, flat | Mechanically drawn glass (after c.1830) |
| Renaissance revival | Combinations with top lights | Industrial sheet glass |
Application
The Empire window appears in:
- Town and country houses of the early 19th century
- Former palaces and government buildings with Empire decoration
- Country estates with classical façades
- Office buildings of the period
- Churches of the rebuild era
In the UK and the Netherlands Empire-period windows survive in Regency terraces, Amsterdam canal houses (built 1815–1830) and townhouses across The Hague and Utrecht.
Restoration and replacement
Listed buildings require:
- Copy profiles — depth, width and edge form exactly
- Reuse original glass — wherever possible
- Glazing beads instead of putty — sometimes original detail
- Sash mechanism — reuse cords and weights
- Paint analysis — typically dark, sometimes white
Related terms
- Empire style
- Sash window
- Glazing bar
- Top light
- Transom
- Window frame
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