What is a Clerestory?
A clerestory is a part of a structure which rises above surrounding an adjoining roofs, allowing light inside the building through copious large windows. Clerestories can vary widely in size, from small features in homes to massive vaulted structures in Gothic cathedrals, but in all cases, they make a structure feel less dim and gloomy than it might otherwise. Typically, constructing a clerestory adds considerably to the price of a building, since it requires special structural support and extra glass. The oldest examples of clerestories can be found in the temples of Ancient Egypt, where architects added a clerestory to the interior rooms of their temples in order to bring light inside. Without a clerestory, inner rooms would have been totally cut off from the outside, making them very dim and oppressive. The Ancient Greeks picked up the trick and passed it on to the Romans, and it diffused across Europe from there, reaching its height in Gothic construction. Cathedrals and old church
