Skylight Turns Into a Balcony, Sorta

The general concept behind this rooftop balcony: Now you see it, now you don’t.

The Velux Cabrio Balcony looks like a normal skylight installed on an angled roof. But open the top and bottom panes and a railing magically unfolds, transforming this unassuming window into a temporary balcony.

Well, it’s not totally a balcony, since you’re technically still completely inside your house, but it certainly looks and feels like one.

You can also open a small vent on the top edge of the window to let in fresh air that then passes through a built-in filter, even when the window is closed.

You can also add optional custom-made blinds to block light and add privacy. The blinds are fixed to the windows and move with the panes when you open them to create the balcony

But adding this little extra feature to your abode isn’t cheap. The window itself costs more than $3,000 and that doesn’t count the cost of hiring a professional to cut the right space into your home, if necessary, and install it (because trying to DIY this one might not end well).

For urban dwellers with little access to outdoor space though, this could be a breath of fresh air.

A view from inside a wider model:

The balcony activated and at rest: