Depending on the specific criteria of an installation, there are a range of structural glazing systems available to ensure the desired finish and performance is achieved. Glass-fin (mullion) units, for example, are among the most popular where a seamless finish is required.

Glass Structure. There are numerous structural glass systems offered by various suppliers that open up vast possibilities for architects, allowing them to create a complete glass envelope for buildings with frameless façades on any plane.

Float makes glass of near optical quality. Several processes – melting, refining, homogenising – take place simultaneously in the 2,000 tonnes of molten glass in the furnace. They occur in separate zones in a complex glass flow driven by high temperatures.

Designing glass for use in barriers can appear complex at first, with a number of safety and technical measures to take into consideration. In this article we explain the design principles behind some of the most common glass barriers.

Glass in Architecture showcases a selection of buildings from around the world, inspired by the most creative architectural ideas using glass.

Pilkington fire-resistant glass is represented in several hundred fully tested and approved glazing systems. This includes doors and partitions of various framing materials and designs, facades and roof glazing and more recently even the first fire-resistant sliding doors and windows.

Curtain Wall. The curtain wall method of glazing allows glass to be used in large uninterrupted areas creating consistent attractive facades. The flexibility in choice of NSG Group products allows the designer to control every aspect of the performance from thermal to solar considerations and ultimately the design statement for the building.

Glass in Buildings Enhancing the Built Environment. The float process has made it possible to provide the building industry with very large glass plates of great perfection, not just in flatness but in freedom from optical distortion and from flaws. And the process has facilitated much more.

Glass is an excellent choice for internal partitions. Not only does it allow light to penetrate further into a building but it can provide many other functions: acoustic attenuation - reduce noise levels between areas; impact resistance - provide a screen for security or prevent falling from one level to another, create glass corridors;

Pilkington Planar™ provides a bolted glass surface for façades and internal walls, utilising stainless steel fittings housed in countersunk holes to fix the glass directly back to the structure. The result is a fully engineered system offering all of the properties of conventional framed façades, with the minimum of visual obstructions.