Page 102 - Glass-Technology International no. 3-2019

GLASS TRENDS

Metallic reflections for façade and interior.
Photo: Seen

zig one of the last designs by
architect Oscar Niemeyer
(1907-2012) is currently
taking shape. The project is
based on a spherical design
that embraces the existing
building while also form-
ing a contrast with it. The
sphere consisting of white
exposed concrete with two
large, curved window ‘cut-
outs’ hosts two storeys. The
window cut-outs are geo-
desic domes with a triangu-
lar division. The matching
partner for realising this pro-
ject was found in Merck and
their Liquid Crystal Win-
dow-Technology (LCW) for
self-shading double-glazed
units. One prerequisite for
the project was the devel-
opment of a neutral grey
shade that attains a very
high degree of transpar-
ency in its initial state. This Different shapes and metals are as feasible as are individual arrays.
can be switched gradually Striking: the 3D effects produced by one-sided coatings.
either automatically or at Photo: Seen
the touch of a button to a
very dark grey so that the
energy transmittance can be
reduced substantially if need
be. At glass technology live
Merck presented a true-to-
scale model of part of the
building. This demonstrator
was made up of 50 different
triangular sheets measuring
approximately 1.4 x 1.4 me-
tres and supported by a steel
structure.
Interactive façades, display
and thin glass, forward-
looking glass technologies
for generating energy as well
as developments and pos-
sibilities in structural glass
engineering: all of this was
on show at glass technology
live at Glasstec 2018.

100 Glass-Technology International 3/2019