To celebrate the use of glass in modern architecture, we would like to share some of our favourite inspirational buildings. From the outrageous to the beautifully simple, it is the inclusion of glass in these structures that helps to create such an impact.
Image courtesy of archdaily.com
Saint-Cloud Sport and Leisure Centre, France
This sport and leisure centre in Saint-Cloud, France, is a cheerful ‘cubist mountain’ that is placed in the heart of a traditional suburban neighbourhood. The building features a number of activity spaces, designed in a broad and open style to inspire the people who visit the centre. KOZ architects, who formulated the plans for the leisure centre, is part of an ‘environmentally aware’ generation – with the coloured glass facades allowing maximum levels of natural light, keeping electricity consumption to a minimum, and heating for the building run by solar power.
Image courtesy of archdaily.com
Willis (Sears) Tower Glass Balconies
The breathtaking Skydeck, which sits 103 floors above the Willis Tower in Chicago, has glass balconies extending approximately 1.4 metres from the building. The glass ledges provide incredible views across the city, which attracts well over a million visitors every year. The Ledge features a nearly-invisible support system and comprises three layers of glass measuring 1.27cm, which has been tempered for durability and laminated to create seamless boxes units.
Images courtesy of Chicago.ettractions.com
Kanagawa Institute of Technology Glass Building
Tokyo designer Junya Ishigami’s Kanagawa Institute of Technology (KAIT) workshop has been designed to blur the boundaries between inside and out. The workshop is flooded with daylight, uninhibited by its glass ‘skin’, which is part of a frame that has been designed to be as light as possible in order to withstand possible earthquakes. Fresh air is drawn in through small vents throughout the structure to blend architecture and nature in a fresh and dynamic way.
Images courtesy of archdaily.com
As glass continues to increase in prominence in modern architecture, innovation in new glazing styles and designs are key. At Pilkington, we can help with our broad range of glazing solutions.