airshaft

A vertical (or near vertical) opening (shaft) running from a courtyard to the sky, thus allowing air to circulate to high-rise apartments or offices.

There was a warren of big cabins instead, many levels opening onto walkways around a common airshaft.

Howard turned left and walked to the end of the building. Here was a narrow alleyway, which gave on the airshaft at the rear of the building.

A passage supplying ventilation into a mine tunnel or other underground facility.

A device used for handling winding reels in the processing of web-fed materials, such as in continuous-process printing presses.