15 Creative Uses of Glass in Archi

8/4/2019 15 Creative Uses of Glass in Archi

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15 Creative Uses of Glass in Architecture

Glass Buildings The transparent, ethereal nature of glass allows for extraordinary creations in the world of architecture. From acrystalline pyramid of light to a clear balcony 1,300 feet in the sky, glass is truly a versatile material for the creative architect. Tocelebrate how important glass is to our homes, offices and lives, here is a look at the worlds glass building masterpieces: 15creative uses of glass in architecture.

The Lourve Pyramid

In 1984, French presidentFranois Mitterrand hiredarchitect I.M. Pei to designand construct a newentrance for the iconicLouvremuseum. The LouvrePyramid was the result,one of the most famedworks of glass architectureto date. This large glasspyramid rises out of thesquare in front of theLouvre at a height of 70feet, consisting of 673

glasssection from tip tobase. Visitors enter thepyramid to descend below-ground before ascendingagain into the main level ofthe museum. While theLouvre Pyramid was builtamidst much controversyand critique, it has beenlauded by architecture fansas a well-executedmerging of classical andmodernist architecture.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I._M._Peihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I._M._Peihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louvre_Pyramid


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Sports and Leisure Center in Saint-Cloud, France

With the Sports and Leisure Center in Saint-Cloud France, Koz Architects have shown that color and glass can do wonders for thehuman spirit. This building is the ultimate recreation center for children, a vast and playful environment that inspires free play withplenty of room for creativity. The buildings facade is clothed in glass, stained and lit with pixelated color for a visually arrestingaesthetic. When it comes to color, glass and light, this building by Koz Architects is clearly amongst todays most progressive.
http://www.thecoolist.com/sports-center-paris-by-koz-architects/http://www.koz.fr/indexhibit/project/le-ruban/http://www.thecoolist.com/sports-center-paris-by-koz-architects/http://www.koz.fr/indexhibit/project/le-ruban/


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Selgas Cano Architecture Office

The

Selgas Cano Architecture Office is a glass capsule of creativity in the middle of a quiet Spanish forest. The outer wall and ceiling ofthe office is entirely open to the nature around it, thanks to a clear curved wall of glass. Throughout four seasons, the workersforSelgas Canoare directly in tune with their environment. In case you havent seen this architectural gem before, it was alsofeatured on our list of brilliant works ofoffice design. Here, the Selgas Cano Architecture Office is celebrated again thanks to thephotography of the greatIwan Baan.
http://selgascano.com/http://selgascano.com/http://www.thecoolist.com/office-design-excellence-10-amazing-office-designs-around-the-world/http://www.thecoolist.com/office-design-excellence-10-amazing-office-designs-around-the-world/http://www.iwan.com/Selgas_Cano_Office_Madrid.phphttp://www.iwan.com/Selgas_Cano_Office_Madrid.phphttp://selgascano.com/http://www.thecoolist.com/office-design-excellence-10-amazing-office-designs-around-the-world/http://www.iwan.com/Selgas_Cano_Office_Madrid.php


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Sears Tower Glass Balconies

A touch of glass can add a fresh new perspective and a whole lot of fear to the already soaring heights of the Sears Tower(nowknown as the Willis Tower). The Sears Tower Glass Balconies extend from near the buildings peak at 1,353 feet. While the view

from the Sears is an unparalleled way of seeing the city of Chicago below, we could not bring ourselves to take a step on to thesebalconies. While theyve added a new dimension to the Sears Skydeck experience, well enjoy it from a distance, thank you.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sears_Towerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sears_Tower


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Farnswort House by Mies van der Rohe

An hours drive from the Sears Tower will land you at one of the United States greatest architectural icons, the FarnsworthHouse by Mies van der Rohe. The Farnsworth House is one of the modern periods most celebrated works of architecture, a piecethat pushed the envelope in the use of glass. The home features floor-to-ceiling glass throughout, providing an open connection theriverbank nature of the plot. When designing the house, the client asked Mies van der Rohe to create a home that truly representedhimself and his spirit, to create a structure that embodied the philosophies of the modernist era.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farnsworth_House_(Plano,_Illinois)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farnsworth_House_(Plano,_Illinois)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Mies_van_der_Rohehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farnsworth_House_(Plano,_Illinois)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farnsworth_House_(Plano,_Illinois)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Mies_van_der_Rohe


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Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, MO has received a new modern wing outside its traditional Roman-styleenterpiece. The new Bloch Building is clothed in frosted glass, illuminated from within with light from corner to corner. The Bloch
http://nelson-atkins.org/http://nelson-atkins.org/


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Building may appear to be alien next to its earlier, traditional counterpart, but Steven Holl Architects have succeeded in creating amodern representation of contemporary art for this museum. Use any other material than frosted-glass for its walls, and themajesty of this building is lost.

Glass Houseboat by X-Architects
http://www.stevenholl.com/http://www.stevenholl.com/


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The Glass Houseboat by X-Architects takes an apparent inspiration from the Farnsworth House, this time taking the white-beam-and-glass approach to a sea-faring abode. This sprawling houseboat features two levels on a pair of pontoons, skinned with floor-to-ceiling glass in every direction. Its occupants are treated with unobstructed views of sea and city, the ultimate mobile domicileoff the coast of Dubai.

La Estancia Glass Chapel
http://www.x-architects.com/architecture.php?architects=projectshttp://www.x-architects.com/architecture.php?architects=projects


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This serene retreat for people of faith is made heavenly with the touch of glass. La Estancia Glass Chapel of Cuernavaca, Mexicostands monolithic on a quiet wooded plot. Bunker Arquitectura designed the chapel with full glass walls, striped with frost forprivacy and the feeling of shelter. The result is a stunning work of glass architecture, a monument to the faith of its visitors.

National Grand Theater of China
http://www.bunkerarquitectura.com/http://www.bunkerarquitectura.com/


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One of Chinas greatest architectural works of the last decade, the National Grand Theater of China is a massive dome of glassand titanium. Located not far from Tiananmen Square, Beijing, this glass building houses an opera, a theater and a music hall,combining to seat 5,452 guests at once. The dome is centered within an artificial lake, providing a reflective view of the dome fromthe street. Architect Paul Andreu has been a well-known proponent of glass in architecture, and the National Grand Theater iswidely considered one of his greatest masterworks.

BasqueHealth Department Headquarters of Bilbao, Spain

Bilbao, Spain has become an

architectural hot spot in recentyears, especially in thanks tothe Guggenheim Museum,Bilbao, by Frank Gehry. TheBasque Health DepartmentHeadquarters, designedby Coll-Barreu Architects,shared the sculptural focus ofGehrys Guggenhiem. WhileGehry designed hismasterpiece with metal, Coll-Barreu crafted the BasqueHealth Dept. Headquarters inangular glass with an almost

organically-inspiredshape. When it comes to glassin architecture, this building iseasily amongst the worldsmost progressive in form.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Centre_for_the_Performing_Arts_(China)http://www.paul-andreu.com/pages/sommaire_gb.htmlhttp://www.coll-barreu-arquitectos.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Centre_for_the_Performing_Arts_(China)http://www.paul-andreu.com/pages/sommaire_gb.htmlhttp://www.coll-barreu-arquitectos.com/


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X House by Arquitectura X

The X Houseby Arquitectura X takesthe rectangular glasshome concept andpushes it to a grandscale. X House is asprawling two-storyhome with floor-to-ceilingglass across two levels.While its shorter sidewalls, its ceiling andfloors are wood andmetal, its front and rearsides are entirelytransparent. The exteriorplot is as much a part ofthe homes interior asthe furnishingsthemselves. While X

House may not lenditself to privacy, thehome provides an openand airy feel that is muchgreater than the actualsize of the space within.
http://www.arquitecturax.com/http://www.arquitecturax.com/


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Kanagawa Institute of Technology Glass Building


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As we mentioned in our earlier coverage of the Kanagawa Institute of Technology Glass Building, people in glass offices should notthrow phones. When it comes to glass offices, there are none better than this. You wont find bored cubicle workers in this hall, buta meeting of the minds of the future workers of Japan, joining for creative projects and community in one of the greatest glass workspaces in the world. It is huge, monumental even, a piece of architecture whose inner beauty is entirely exposed thanks to a thinglass skin that wraps around its entire exterior.

House Cafe Kanyon byAutoban Architects
http://www.thecoolist.com/kanagawa-institute-of-technologys-glass-building/http://www.thecoolist.com/kanagawa-institute-of-technologys-glass-building/


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Thanks to the creative use of glass, the House Cafe Kanyon by Autoban Architects is a separate, exclusive dining experiencewithin the Kanyon shopping mall in Istanbul, Turkey. This steel and glass shell is raised above the malls stone base with a walnutfloor, which combines with the clear glass for an overall warm inner appearance. The glass walls of the House Cafe make thisrestaurant its own, free-standing structure within another, creating a sense of separation from the commerce around it.

IT House byTaalman Koch
http://www.thehousecafe.com/http://www.autoban212.com/http://www.thehousecafe.com/http://www.autoban212.com/


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In the desert near Joshua Tree National Park, architect Taalman Koch has assembled a glass-walled prefab house called the ITHouse. IT House is built off-site, then installed on location, in this case in the center of one of the United States most picturesquedeserts. The use of glass provides two primary functions for the home, first being the visual connection to the surroundingenvironment, and the second for passive heating and cooling throughout the year. In fact, the home is entirely off-grid, using solarpanels upon its roof to power what little energy needs the home has.

The Glass Pavilion House by Steve Hermann
http://taalmankoch.com/http://tkithouse.com/http://tkithouse.com/http://taalmankoch.com/http://tkithouse.com/http://tkithouse.com/


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The most recent example of the pavilion-style glass house may also be the styles best, the Glass Pavilion House by SteveHermann. While the Farnsworth House remains king, Hermann updated the format with a design of his own. Where the FarnsworthHouse can be nearly inhabitable during the winter, the Glass Pavilion House takes advantage of warm Santa Barbara countytemperatures. This glass home features white floors and ceilings with outer walls that are entirely glass. In contrast to the otherhomes listed here, the Glass Pavilion House may not push the envelope, but we included it for an entirely different reason it

perfectedthat envelope. If we could choose any glass home to call our habitat, this beauty would most certainly be it.
http://www.thecoolist.com/the-glass-pavilion-house-by-steve-hermann/http://www.thecoolist.com/the-glass-pavilion-house-by-steve-hermann/http://www.thecoolist.com/the-glass-pavilion-house-by-steve-hermann/http://www.thecoolist.com/the-glass-pavilion-house-by-steve-hermann/

15 Creative Uses of Glass in Archi

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