Dwelling
Niche
housing temple museum school cemetery
A recess opened in the thickness of a wall to hold an object, an image or an offering.
Solves
What it solves
It gains storage or display space without taking up the room and gives the wall a focal point. In thick earth or stone walls it makes use of their mass.
Today
Design it as part of the wall and not as a stray hole, with good proportions, light to illuminate it and a back that resists moisture. In walls that resist earthquakes do not open it without a structural review.
Common mistake
Opening niches in structural walls without calculation, which weakens them against earthquakes.
Tomorrow
A niche in an exterior wall can shelter small birds, solitary bees or bats if it is designed with the right depth and orientation. Inside it continues to organize daily things without getting in the way.
Where it comes from
- 1Shoin-style Japanese house Japan, Muromachi period
The tokonoma is a raised alcove where a painted or calligraphic scroll and a flower arrangement are placed. The most important guest sits next to it. - 2Islam Medina and Damascus, early 8th century
The mihrab, a concave niche in the wall, indicates the direction of Mecca for prayer. - 3Inca Andes of Peru, 15th century
Doors, windows and niches are often trapezoidal, sometimes with double or triple jambs.
See also
Also in Dwelling
Diagrams and texts by LDB Arquitectura. They are shared under the CC BY 4.0 license, which allows them to be used and adapted with credit to the source.