Bay (architecture)

In architecture, a bay is the space between architectural elements, or a recess or compartment. The term bay comes from Old French baie, meaning an opening or hole. NOTOC The spaces between posts, columns, or buttresses in the length of a building, the division in the widths being called aisles. This meaning also applies to overhead vaults (between ribs), in a building using a vaulted structural system. For example, the Gothic architecture period's Chartres Cathedral has a nave (main interior space) that is "seven bays long." Similarly in timber framing a bay is the space between posts in the transverse direction of the building and aisles run longitudinally. Where there are no columns or other divisions, and regularly-spaced windows, each window in a wall is counted as a bay. For example Mulberry Fields in Maryland US, a Georgian style building, is described as "5 bay by 2 bay", meaning "5 windows at the front and 2 windows at the sides". A recess in a wall, such as a bay window. A division of space such as an animal stall, sick bay, or bay platform. The space between joists or rafters, a joist bay or rafter bay. The Japanese ken and Korean kan are both bays themselves and measurements based upon their number and standard placement. Under the Joseon, Koreans were allocated a set number of bays in their residential architecture based upon their class.