Effects of glass use in local architecture (Part1)

The use of glass in local architecture is not a new occurrence. Glass has been a major part of local architecture ever since it was discovered. Over the next week, Palace of glass will bring to you different articles aimed at enlightening you with the architectural place and history of glass.

According to Violich, a ‘meaningful’ urban place can be created if there is a common ground for other identities. The built environment can provide a common platform for a shared identity. And architectural glass can play a positive role in the creation of that place. The neutral expression of glass can create a healthy sense of belonging for citizens of all cultural backgrounds.

It is to be noted, however, that architecture should not aim to reflect the heterogeneous make-up of our multicultural society. In fact, this might cause loss of identity to the specific locale, which was previously identified as having been rooted in the environmental characteristics of a particular spatial context. Multi-cultural must be pursued in a way that preserves the local flavor and helps it grow and merge with the other cultures. Architectural glass facades should not be used to completely manifest multicultural identities. Rather, they should act as neutral media that reflect a variety of cultural expressions in order to enrich urban experience in a context that has an overall unified cultural and environmental identity. Glass in this situation will be an everlasting symbol of cultural growth and sustenance.

Local inhabitants, as well as frequent visitors, may have a tangible bonding with an urban place. A lot of people often get nostalgic simply seeing a picture of the different places they once lived in or visited. This bonding usually depends on their memories and experience of the spatial and a-spatial elements of the place. According to Violich, the built environment could become a resource for integrating people into communities through a common commitment towards solving problems of the environment they share. Such a collaboration will be a positive step forward in terms of the good it will attract. As individuals broaden their visual awareness and exchange their responses to visual experiences in their adopted places with other people, Identity will automatically evolve into a collective expression. It is unclear as to whether the selection and the details of a facade’s materials have any effect on the visual culture and thus the perception of different cultural groups in cities. It is, however, unlikely that applications of architectural glass facades would be any different from any other construction material.

But apart from the application, the glass facades are a unique addition to any piece of architecture, be it public or private. Care must be taken to ensure that glass does not become too impersonal an item of construction. For instance, in some cases, some people would argue that the overall outlook of a sky-scrapper draped with glass is not homely, but mechanical.

At Palace of glass we understand these historical subtleties. For more on this, stay tuned for part 2.