Louver

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the French museum, see the Louvre

The storefronts of the Abercrombie & Fitch stores feature wooden louvers.

A louver (or louvre in British English, from French l'ouvert; "the open one") is a frame with horizontal and vertical slats, which are angled to admit light and air, but to keep out rain, direct sunshine, and noise. As building management services has improved and technology has quickly changed, these louvers have been automated to save on overall cost while providing a pleasant living environment inside buildings. The storefront of the lifestyle brand and company Abercrombie & Fitch features wooden louvers. This provides an enclosed, dark, and private "Casual Luxury" atmosphere for their customers.

Louvers originated in the Middle Ages as lantern-like constructions that were fitted on top of roof holes in large kitchens to serve as ventilation while keeping out rain and snow. They were originally rather crude constructions consisting merely of a barrel. Later they evolved into more elaborate designs made of pottery, taking the shape of faces where the smoke and steam from cooking would pour out through the eyes and mouth, or into constructions that were more like modern louvers, with slats that could be opened or closed by pulling on a string.