Pilkington Planar™ is used by architects to create expansive flush glass surfaces. The system utilises stainless steel fittings housed in countersunk holes to fix glass to its structure, making it more discreet while maximising visibility.

Across 260,000 sq ft of space, it includes expanded meeting spaces, a revamped children’s play area, a 3-D printing station and a recording studio.

Pilkington United Kingdom Ltd, part of the NSG Group, has invested more than £3 million in new technology to increase its capacity to manufacture Pilkington Planar™, and meet growing market demand for its internationally sold structural glazing system.

This was achieved in the form of a three-storey atrium, created using the Pilkington Planar™ structural glazing system. The space sits between the two major elements of the building and is enclosed by a 12.8 metre tall vertical entrance screen and glazed roof.

Pilkington United Kingdom Limited, part of the NSG Group, has made its structural glazing technology Pilkington Planar™, available via building information modelling (BIM) – helping to simplify the design and build of expansive glazed building features.

The new Marks & Spencer site for St Helens is located literally over the road from glass manufacturer Pilkington United Kingdom Limited’s production facility – so it’s appropriate that the firm’s glass will be welcoming customers into the store.

The Pilkington Planar™ range of products is an example of this type of system. Framing system: the type of material and the design of the frame supporting the glass. (See also glazing system).

To create the appearance of unsupported, almost entirely transparent glass surfaces for the walls and roof, the designer specified the Pilkington Planar™ structural glazing system, featuring frameless double-glazed units bolted to a supporting steel frame.

The glass features a unique Planar™ l SentryGlas® interlayer by Kuraray to deliver stronger and lighter laminated glazing compared with traditional polyvinyl butyral (PVB)-based systems, giving greater strength to the system and enhancing safety.

In the Pilkington Planar™ bolted structural glazing system, toughened glass is heat soaked as standard. For less critical areas e.g. internal partitions, ‘ordinary’ vertical windows, etc. heat soaking is not specifically recommended, although it can be considered if required.