Are Crittall Windows A Trend?

We’ve seen this trend slowly rise through blogs, pinterest boards and magazine coverage. So what exactly is crittall?

Quick History of Crittall

Crittall windows are a clearly British design, we often see them as a pretty modern design however that isn’t the case – they have been around since the 1890s. Crittall then spread over to Detroit in the early 1900s. It is a very noticeable window design and often is still in place in many art deco buildings. Two of the buildings we have worked on recently in Knightsbridge and Holloway Road both originally had crittall window designs.

They are most often associated with deco design, this is probably due to the increase in operations globally in the 1920s. Operations established in South Africa, India, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and in Washington, D.C. in the USA, which is why this design has become recognisable to so many people. Crazy to think this all started in a little town called Braintree in Essex.

A nice notable fact is that crittall windows were used on the Titanic – you never know that might be a pub quiz question!

Old and New Materials

Crittall windows are steel framed windows with a single panel of glass. Most notably on the Houses of Parliament and Tower of London however post-WW2 crittall is increasingly seen in aluminum. Today we see the style of crittall windows being reproduced by many companies and in many new materials. Most notably with double glazing to work together with the new building regulations on glazing.

We have even seen recently that crittall is making a mark on the interiors industry in sliding doors, internal partitions and shower doors. These stunning new additions will be cropping up often in upcoming designs as they have dominated Pinterest. Even with their popularity we are hoping they aren’t a trend that will be dying out soon as they really are visually stunning.

Crittall Windows Pricing

Crittall windows can be pretty pricey but more importantly they can often be on a long lead time, usually around 10-12 weeks so if you are looking to use these products it’s worth while building them in to your design early rather than as an afterthought.  In general they are an investment. The glass for the project above came in at over £2500 for a single wide internal window (that is including installation which was a breeze).

(alternate but incorrect spellings are: crittel windows and crittle windows – be warned!)