Acta Scientiarum Polonorum

Abstract: In the paper various functions and forms of balconies, comprising loggias, French windows and bays are presented. Balconies played initially a defensive role, so as city walls and watch towers, from these the guard could see the all town. Balconies appear in the housing architecture since Middle Ages, then they are to be found in Renaissance and Baroque. Their form is developing especially in the Art Nouveau time. Today balconies are a frontage decoration, they animate facades and create their appearance by chiaroscuro (light and shade) effects. Balconies exist in palaces as galleries, in Catholic churches they are a place for choir and organ, and in Protestant churches balconies are designed for people. Having in view construction and material, balconies underwent transformations along with the development of building technics. There exist stone and wooden balconies, stepwise in course of years cast iron, structural steel and at last ferroconcret were used.