1. Papal Apartments in Vatican City
While the window itself is rather average looking, what is amazing is what it signifies. Millions of people every year come to the Vatican to watch the Pope give a weekly prayer from this window. The practice began in October 1962 with Pope John XXIII and is now carried on every week on Sunday at noon.
2. Fraumünster in Zurich, Switzerland
In the center of the Fraumünster Cathedral are five soaring stained glass windows. While you would think they would have been in place for centuries, the windows were made in 1967 by Marc Chagall. Chagall was an Orthodox Jewish artist who was commissioned for the work. Each window stands 32 feet tall and three feet wide.
3. Gipsoteca del Canova in Possagno, Italy
Architect Carlo Scarpa created a masterpiece when he was approached by the Canova Museum. The window refuses to rest within the building, instead jutting out from the structure. The window itself is a demonstration of modernism circa 1955, fitting in with the ever-growing movement.
4. Hollyhock House in Los Angeles, CA
Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1921, this art museum was first a home for oil heiress Aline Barnsdall. The home saw little use as a home due to costs of maintenance and construction. It was donated to the city of Los Angeles in 1927, where it has served as an art facility ever since. The windows themselves are examples of came glasswork. This glasswork is the process of joining glass together using small metal strips.
5. Seth Sadasukh Gambhir Chand Kothari Dharamshala in Upper Road, Haridwar, India
The beautiful windows found here is indicative of other Dharamshalas around the world. A dharamshala is an Indian resthouse for religious purposes. These are meant for pilgrims and religious travelers to rest on their way to their sites. This particular dharamshala was built in 1822 and donated by an anonymous business person.
6. Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois
The Willis Tower boasts less of a window and more of a death-defying view. The building boasts a frightful ledge covered in nothing but glass. The protrusion goes no more than four feet out but has a clear view all the way down to the street below. When looking at anything but the ground, you can see Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan.
7. Sidi Sayed Mosque in Ahmedabad, India
The intricate latticework shows us that not all windows have glass in them. This window belongs to an incomplete mosque that was "finished" in 1573. The building itself is still known around the world for its ornate architecture.
8. Apple Store in New York City, New York
This building may seem rather empty, but it's anything but. The entire structure serves as the entrance to the Manhattan Apple Store on Fifth Avenue. The building serves as the flagship for the entire company. This explains why the structure is a testament to bold simplicity, much as its company does.
