For the designers of Knightsbridge Gate, London, a landmark mixed-use development that occupies an entire block of the street, providing the best possible shop fronts for the retailers that will occupy the scheme’s ground floor was a top priority. So, choosing the right glazing was paramount.
To ensure that the units look their best, the designer selected Pilkington OptiViewâ„¢ Protect OW anti-reflective glass for the street-level glazing.
Coatings on the outer faces of the laminated glass reduce its reflectivity to around 2 percent, compared with around 8 percent for standard, uncoated glass. The result is that views into the shop fronts are almost entirely uninterrupted by reflections, even on bright days, ensuring that retailers’ window displays are shown off to the best effect.
To give further clarity, the glass is Pilkington Optiwhiteâ„¢ low-iron glass that is almost entirely free from colouration.
Adding to the aesthetic appeal of the glazing is the complex shape of the panes that make it up, including a large, curved edge at the top of the central pane in each shop front. Pilkington UK engineers worked closely with the carpenters to precision cut each pane of glass to ensure a perfect fit.
The shop front windows are as tough as they are beautiful as they consist of two panes of glass laminated together with a strong polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayer. This ensures the glazing can stand up to all the forces that may be thrown at it, from wind-loading, to any attempts to smash the glass.
Due to the anti-reflective coating being applied at a high temperature when the glass was being made, it is highly scratch-resistant, ensuring its clean and clear appearance will last for many years to come.