Claustra is a wall or screen with a regular pattern of openings, executed in masonry, concrete or natural stone, that provides light transmission, ventilation and decoration while still offering privacy and screening. The word comes from the Latin “claustrum” (enclosure).
Characteristics
Claustra is recognisable by:
- Perforated pattern — regularly recurring openings in the wall
- Light and air — the openings admit daylight and breeze
- Privacy — despite the openings the wall provides screening
- Decorative — the patterns are often geometric and ornamental
Application
Claustra is widely used:
- Garden walls — as a decorative boundary that admits light and air
- Facades — as sun shading and ventilation in warm climates
- Stairwells — ventilation and light transmission without fully open walls
- Interiors — as a room divider or decorative partition
- Islamic architecture — mashrabiya screens and jali are forms of claustra
Materials
- Brick — bricks laid with gaps or rotated
- Concrete blocks — specially shaped hollow blocks
- Ceramics — prefabricated decorative elements
- Natural stone — carved or sawn
Related terms
- Masonry
- Bond pattern
- Ventilation
- Sun shading
- Ornament
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