The Shadow of the Moucharabieh

The moucharabieh is a projecting lattice screen — typically carved wood, sometimes plaster — that covers windows on the upper floors of traditional houses, riads, and palaces. From inside, you see the street clearly. From outside, you see only shadow. The screen transforms the window from an opening into a filter.

The geometry is functional. The lattice breaks direct sunlight into hundreds of small beams that scatter across the interior, creating dappled light without glare. The openings allow air to pass through while reducing wind speed — a passive ventilation system. In summer, water placed behind the screen evaporates in the breeze, cooling the incoming air. The moucharabieh is air conditioning built from wood and mathematics.

The privacy function is cultural. In traditional Moroccan architecture, the domestic interior is sacred — haram, in the architectural sense. Women could observe the street, monitor commerce, and watch processions without being seen by strangers. The moucharabieh permitted participation in public life from within the private sphere. It is architecture that encodes a social contract.

The craft is demanding. Traditional moucharabieh screens are assembled from hundreds of small turned pieces — bobbins, spindles, and geometric connectors — fitted together without nails or glue. Cedar is the preferred wood for its insect resistance and fragrance. A single screen can take weeks to produce. The artisans who make them are increasingly rare.

The pattern vocabulary is vast. Hexagonal, octagonal, star-based, and interlocking circle patterns each produce different light effects. Tighter patterns filter more light and provide more privacy. Open patterns admit more air. The choice is calibrated to the room's orientation, the street's width, and the family's requirements.

Modern Moroccan architecture is rediscovering the moucharabieh — not as ornament but as technology. Architects in Marrakech and Casablanca are integrating lattice screens into contemporary buildings for their thermal performance. The old technology outperforms glass curtain walls in Morocco's climate.

Explore the full interactive module — with pattern catalogues, light simulation, and the thermal performance data — at Dancing with Lions: https://www.dancingwiththelions.com/data/shadow-moucharabieh