Glass Facades

Not only do architectural glass facades act as neutral cultural surfaces in a specifically built cultural heritage, they also tend to act as dominant sources of character in any urban context – the examples of which are evident throughout the globe. It is, however, difficult to think of subtle examples of glass facades, because few exist. Glass buildings do not compliment the uniqueness of a place, like most other construction and design materials do. Rather, they have a tendency of creating their own uniqueness and presenting a different vibe than the traditional construction does. Glass facades reflect the signatures of the "star quality" architects instead of reflecting the architecture of the ordinary described by Scrutton – who is a big critic of "normal architecture. "Star quality" has been described by Budd Schulberg as a mysterious amalgam of self-love, vivacity, style, and sexual promise. Such is the power of carefully chosen architectural designs.

The elements upon which windows are modeled are constantly repeated, which makes uniqueness economical and easy to achieve. Repetition, thereby, becomes the new, post-industrial paradigm. These repetitions however, due to the uniqueness of glass do not look monotonous.

Glass facades can also be very useful in creating the identities of new places. The new iron and glass age, for example, generated its own architecture out of the zeitgeist. With the advent of the industrial revolution, more types of building were required. Liberal open spaces were created to accommodate the masses entering cities from the hinterlands. Architectural glass played a major role in this process at the end of the nineteenth century, so much so that it created a place of its own in the present and future of architectural design.

A good example of the nineteenth century use of space, light, and glass can be seen in the architecture of railway stations, such as the St. Pancras Station in London by Barlow in 1865 and Pennsylvania Station in New York City by Mead and White in 1905. Other buildings exhibiting these qualities were the great exhibition halls such as the Palais de Machines in 1889, and of course, the Crystal Palace in 1852. Glass not only emphasized the monumentality of these buildings, but it also gave a unique identity and quality to the places in which they were located. Some would say that this set out an outstanding example for railways architecture all over the world. Such architecture when combined with the logistical value of a railway station, creates a place worth mentioning.

Palace of Glass seeks to bring this very same characteristic to the modern era of construction. Our generic products and the custom made designs seek to make your piece of architecture an everlasting mark on the memories of all onlookers. Glass, for us is not just another construction material like the many others that are used. For us here the Palace of Glass, glass is a unique symbol of art and a statement of beauty. For more information about the variety of architectural glass we offer, please visit our website.