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Posts Tagged ‘Glass’

Stronger than Concrete: New Glass Bricks Support Dutch Facade

22 Apr

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Offices & Commercial. ]

glass brick facade

A new type of see-through glass brick used in this Dutch building facade aims to bridge traditional brick with transparency; the assembled bricks have been tested and shown to be as strong as concrete, able to support heavy loads in compression like its opaque competitor.

glass brick assembly

Architecture firm MVRDV applied this new technology to the front of a Chanel shop in Amsterdam that was damaged behind repair, allowing for a see-through storefront that still references local historic brick while using fully-recyclable glass.

glass brick detail

The bricks themselves are held in place with likewise see-through glue and help support the remaining terracotta brickwork on the floor above into which they visually transition. The structurally-sound result stands out against the street, but also lets additional light into the interior of the building.

glass brick details

glass brick in context

This new approach to brick can help mediate between the desire for solidity and openness, providing a cheap alternative to both masonry and glass construction traditions. The construction process was as much a laboratory experiment as an architectural process, involving teams from around the world in different disciplines.

glass brick view

Researchers from Delft University of Technology, engineers at ABT and contractors at Wessels Zeist joined forces to develop and test structural solutions and fabrication techniques, ultimately leading to the development of this new type of brick. The bricks were then cast by a glass company Venice and joined using glue from Delo Industrial Adhesives in Germany. (Photos by Daria Scagliola and Stijn Brakkee).

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Brick Farmhouse Facade Illusion via Photo-Printed Glass

This project was deadlocked for decades until MVDRV showed up with a radical proposal remixing old and new, printing local historical-building photographs …
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Smart Bricks: Life-Size LEGO-Style Blocks for Human Habitats

Aiming to revolutionize the most basic material units of construction, these building blocks snap together like LEGO bricks while leaving space for insulation …
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Bricks and Scones: British House Built Entirely of Legos

Have you ever wished you could build a Lego house big enough to walk into? UK TV presenter James May and a team of volunteers and builders are doing just that.
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Nothing to Hide: Open Glass Islamic Culture Center for NYC

26 Mar

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Public & Institutional. ]

islamic center facade

Designed to dispel fears surrounding Muslim culture, practices and traditions, a new wide-open skyscraper design for New York City invites people of all faiths to enter, through both programmatic functions and a clear facade.

islamic center facade glass

The schematic proposal by local firm Buro Koray Duman was commissioned by the American Society for Muslim Advancement (ASMA), aiming to promote progressive change and social justice. The Society hopes to show another side of Islam to the city and the world.

islamic center entry door

The idea is, in part, to highlight cultural aspects of Islam as apart from the strictly religious (and particularly: radicalized) associations, distinguishing between peoples and religions.

islamic center design diagrams

The building is structured to be as welcoming and open as possible, consisting of horizontal floors stacked to fit a vertical urban landscape.

islamic center walkways interior

From Dezeen: “His studio’s schematic design for the centre features a 100,000-square-foot (9,290 square metres) building that takes its cue from historic Islamic cultural complexes, called kulliyes.”

islamic center vertical stacks

“In these complexes, which are laid out horizontally, low-slung buildings with varying functions are organised around a centrally placed mosque.”

islamic center central volume

A central volume contains an auditorium, library, prayer room, restaurant and offices, connected by walkways that span public and private spaces around the perimeter.

islamic center vertical wrap

This design may or may not be realized; the idea of building Islam-centered architecture near the site of the 9/11 attacks has been contentious for well over a decade.

islamic center nyc

Supporters hope, however, that structure (conceptual or actual) can show another dimension to even the wariest members of the public, at least opening the door to interfaith and intercultural dialogue.

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Windowless House of Glass: Solid Walls Hide Invisible Floors

In a surreal reversal of modern architectural convention, this Vertical Glass House trades a tradition of solid horizontals and clear verticals for an opaque …
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Cultural Center Carved Out of 42 Grain Silos in South Africa

An amazing hybrid of preservation and transformation, this project involves carving a series stunning spaces inside a huge series of concrete silos set …
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Architecture with Nothing to Hide: 13 Glass Box Buildings

Spotlighting the reflective, shimmering and transparent qualities of glass, architecture primarily made up of glazed volumes interacts with its environment in …
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Beyond the Glass Ceiling: 14 Houses & Hotels Made for Stargazing

19 Mar

[ By Steph in Boutique & Art Hotels & Travel. ]

iceland igloo hotels 4

Watch for shooting stars and identify constellations from the comfort of a warm and cozy bed in rooms designed to provide nearly unfettered access to the sky, with transparent roofs blurring the lines between indoors and out. From hotels in some of the world’s prime stargazing locations like Finland and Chile to homes equipped with observatories to a tree house that literally lifts its lid, these see-through structures flood the interiors with sunlight during the day and offer amazing views at night.

Starlight Room

starlight room

starlight room 2

starlight room 3

starlight room 4

starlight room 5

Set on faux skis, with a glass ceiling and walls, the Starlight Room looks out onto the Dolomites in the northern Italian town of Cortina d’Ampezzo for high-altitude views far from light pollution and noise. The tiny hotel room accommodates singles and couples, and contains little more than a double bed and television. Guests arrive via snowmobile or snow shoes, and room service is delivered, though it looks like exiting the cabin to go to the bathroom in the snow might not be the most pleasant experience in the middle of the night.

The Sky Den Literally Lifts its Lid

sky den 2

sky den 4

The roof of this tree house by architect George Clark opens to the sky, enlarging the space so it can be used as a protected indoor shelter or an open-air observatory. Located in England’s Kielder Water & Forest Park, the Sky Den has flat-pack furniture built right into its movable walls, so guests can pull down and set up whatever they need to be comfortable, from beds to stools and benches.

Camouflage House
camouflage house 1

camouflage house 2

camouflage house

A habitable greenhouse, Hiroshi Iguchi’s Camouflage House blends into the landscape, with an inner core of private spaces surrounded by a glass enclosure. Almost completely transparent, the house in Nagano, Japan incorporates an interior garden via openings that allow trees to grow straight up the angled roof from the courtyard.

Transparent Ceilings and Floors

glass ceiling house

glass ceiling house 2

glass ceiling house 3

glass ceiling house 4

This four-story house in Shanghai by architect Yung Ho Chang of Atelier FCJZ features a glass roof as well as transparent floors on three levels, so you can see the interior of each floor in addition to the sky. Designed as a concrete box with no windows, the home gets all of its daylight from the ceiling. Talk about radical transparency – the toilet is even visible from just below the dining room.

Bob Hope’s UFO House
bob hope ufo house

bob hope ufo house 2

bob hope ufo house 3

bob hope ufo house 4

bob hope ufo house 5

Designed by John Lautner in 1973, the house Bob Hope lived in for decades with his wife Dolores features a dramatic oculus for daylight and stargazing. The bizarre-looking structure was nicknamed ‘UFO House’ and ‘Volcano Home’ for its unusual shape when viewed from afar. Lautner refused to claim the project as his own work, reportedly because Dolores Hope demanded changes to the interior that didn’t fit his artistic vision.

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Beyond The Glass Ceiling 14 Houses Made For Stargazing

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Don’t Throw Stones: Modern Glass House is Super Sharp

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House of Glass: Cabin Facade from Antique Window Frames

On an unusual kind of cross-country road trip, this couple visited garage sales, antique dealers and added these to other roadside finds, all toward the quest …
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A Tree Grows Inside This Modern Cylindrical Glass House

Would you give up all your privacy in order to live in a spectacular glass cylinder with a tree growing up the center? Perhaps the secluded forest location …
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Sky Slide: L.A. Tower Adds Exterior Glass Chute 1,000 Feet Up

07 Mar

[ By WebUrbanist in Architecture & Cities & Urbanism. ]

This undated artist's rendering provided by Overseas Union Enterprise Limited shows a glass slide 1,000 feet above the ground off the side of the U.S. Bank Tower in downtown Los Angeles. The 45-foot-long attraction is part of a $ 50 million renovation that will also put a bar and open-air observation deck on the top floors of the 72-story building. (Michael Ludvik/OUE Ltd. via AP)

A new amusement offering on the 70th floor of the highest skyscraper on the West Coast is stepping up the game, going beyond glass viewing platforms, swimming pools and bridges to boast a fully-transparent outdoor slide for bold adventurers, all at a lofty 1,000-foot elevation.

aerial sky slide

Owners of the U.S Bank Tower are adding this extreme sightseeing measure to thrill (or terrify) visitors who wish to simulate the experience of jumping out of a skyscraper. The 36-foot Skyslide will take guests from the 70th down to the 69th floor.

skyscraper glass slide viewing platform

The so-called Skyslide is part of a new observation deck expansion that will charge $ 25 per ticket, or another $ 8 to ride the side of the scraper via a trap door.

us bank tower

Attached by minimal metal supports, the clear glass will give stunning views of the surrounding city, at least for those brave enough to keep their eyes open on the way down. Meanwhile, on the East Coast, visitors can experience a similar thrill in slightly less overtly-dangerous environs, touring 50 years of history in 1 WTC elevator ride.

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Park & Slide: 100,000 Sign Up to Slip 300 Feet Down a Street

For one day only, residents of Bristol were offered just 360 ‘tickets to slide’ (out of nearly 100,000 applicants) down a main city street at over …
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A Tree Grows Inside This Modern Cylindrical Glass House

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Mountaintop Viewing Walkway Culminates in 300-Foot-Long Slide

After winding their way up a hundred-foot-tall pathway in the Czech Republic set atop a mountain peak (itself located over 3,000 feet above sea level), …
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Architecture with Nothing to Hide: 13 Glass Box Buildings

14 Jan

[ By Steph in Architecture & Houses & Residential. ]

glass boxes lomocubes 3

Spotlighting the reflective, shimmering and transparent qualities of glass, architecture primarily made up of glazed volumes interacts with its environment in ways that opaque structures simply can’t, whether they’re overlooking the ocean or in the middle of a busy urban square. Their sense of vulnerability is tempered by this feeling of connection, containing their inhabitants without cutting them off from the world.

Japanese School
glass boxes japanese school

glass boxes japanese school 2

glass boxes japanese school 3

“I wanted to create a building where it isn’t clear if there are any rules at all,” says architect Junya Ishigami of the disorienting Kanazawa Institute of Technology, comprised of little more than 305 steel columns and a whole lot of glass. The structure reflects the trees at its perimeter, seeming to multiply them, making it feel more like a forest itself than a college classroom. Inside, the steel beams mimic tree trunks.

Russet Residence by Splyce Design
glass boxes russet

glass boxes russet 2

glass boxes russet 3

Stacks of glazed boxes jut out from a Vancouver hillside in this modern residence by Splyce Design, stretching out toward the ocean. Some rooms even cantilever from the sides of the house, maximizing the number of interior spaces with an impressive view. All of that frameless glazing helps the home blend in with its surrounding forest environment.

Offices for Junta de Castilla y Leon by Alberto Campo Baeza
glass boxes junta 1

glass boxes junta 2

glass boxes junta 3

How do you make a structure feel simultaneously open and vulnerable, and as secure as a fortress? Build a glass box inside a stone enclosure. Alberto Campo Baeza’s offices for Junta de Castilla y León utilizes sandstone to disguise the very modern building in its historic environment, the walled city of Zamora, Spain. The perimeter walls provide privacy, while the glazed box within soaks up sunlight.

Skyline Residence
glass boxes skyline 1

glass boxes skyline 2

glass boxes skyline 3

The incredible Skyline Residence in Hollywood by Belzberg Architects has its very own drive-in theater on the side of a geometric glazed volume. The entirety of the glass facade opens to the sky on the bottom floor, leading out to a 65-foot hillside infinity pool.

Next Page – Click Below to Read More:
Glitter And Float 13 Glamorous Glass Box Buildings

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Crystal Castles: 15 Glittering Glass Buildings

These 15 buildings use glass in dazzling and unusual ways, from jagged faceted facades and open offices to homes that consist of transparent glass cubes.
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Sigma Announces Protective Lens Made of Clear Glass Ceramic

16 Dec

Sigma has created an all-new protective filter, the Sigma Water Repellent (WR) Ceramic Protector, using Clear Glass Ceramic with water and oil repellent coating. This is the first filter to use such a material in its construction. It promises both lighter weight and higher strength than normal protective filters with minimal effects on transmittance and sharpness.

It will be available in common filter thread sizes between 67mm and 105mm. See the press release below for more info, or take a look at it on their website at: http://www.sigmaphoto.com/wr-ceramic/

Press Release:

SIGMA CORPORATION ANNOUNCES WORLD’S FIRST PROTECTIVE LENS MADE OF CLEAR GLASS CERAMIC

New scratch- and shock-resistant material provides protection for investment

RONKONKOMA, NY — December 16, 2015 – Sigma Corporation of America, a leading DSLR lens and camera manufacturer, today announced the new Sigma Water Repellent (WR) Ceramic Protector, a lens filter that features new Clear Glass Ceramic material and provides enhanced protective qualities. Pricing and availability is not yet available.

This shock- and scratch-resistant Clear Glass Ceramic was developed specifically for Sigma in partnership with a glass manufacturer. Made with a special heat treatment that evenly precipitates microcrystalline spinel throughout the materials, the Clear Glass Ceramic is 10 times stronger than a conventional protective filter and three times the strength of a chemically strengthened filter. The lens protector also contains WR coating, which repels water, dust and oil, and allows fingerprints to be easily removed. This enhanced protection helps to preserve the lens and ensure long-term, top-notch image quality.

“The Sigma WR Ceramic Protector is the latest example of Sigma’s dedication to innovative and first-to-market photography equipment,” said Mark Amir-Hamzeh, president of Sigma Corporation of America. “The new Clear Glass Ceramic protector is the first of its kind and the strongest material used in the industry. It will enable photographers to safeguard their lenses, while maintaining the impressive sharpness offered by high-quality glass, like our Global Vision line of lenses.”  
Key features of the Ceramic Protector include:

  • Scratch-resistant – Sigma’s Clear Glass Ceramic offers a Vickers hardness number of 700HV. The strength of the Clear Glass Ceramic is much stronger than chemically strengthen glass and is; 10 times stronger than conventional filters
  • Thinner and lighter – This new protector is up to 50 percent thinner and is up to 30% lighter than previous Sigma filters
  • High transmittance – Sigma’s Clear Glass Ceramic offers very high transmittance, making it ideal for use as optical glass
  • Water- and oil-repellent coating – The water repellent coating reflects only 0.24 percent of visible light, thereby minimizing flare and ghosting. Its ability to repel both water and oil is also excellent, with water drops bouncing right off, and fingerprints easily to remove

This filter is offered in the most popular filter thread sizes, and is compatible with all Sigma lenses and other lenses that accept front filter threads that are 67mm-105mm diameters. Compatible lenses in Sigma’s Art line include: 35mm F1.4 DG HSM, 30mm F1.4 DC HSM, 18-35mm F1.8 DC HSM, 24-35mm F2 DG HSM, 24-105mm F4 DG OS HSM, 50mm F1.4 DG HSM, 24mm F1.4 DG HSM, 19mm F2.8 DN, 30mm F2.8 DN and 60mm F2.8 DN. Compatible lenses in the Sports line include the 120-300mm F2.8 DG OS HSM and 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM. Compatible lenses in the Contemporary line include the 17-70mm F2.8-4.0 DC OS HSM, 18-200mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM, 18-300mm F3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM and the 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM. As with all of Sigma’s lenses, the filter is checked with Sigma’s own Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) measuring system, “A1,” in the company’s factory in Japan. 

For information about Sigma, go to www.sigmaphoto.com or follow the company on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Urban Ant Farm: Colony Encouraged to Hack City of Glass & Sand

15 Nov

[ By WebUrbanist in Art & Installation & Sound. ]

ant farm hybrid

In this Urban Ant City installation, hundreds of Spanish ants were set loose in a scale model of Rotterdam, allowed to navigate the existing street and carve their own paths and tunnels.

ant city angle

Using the same basic principles of a tabletop ant farm, STUDIO 1:1 (images by  Ossip van Duivenbode) added a twist to their approach, giving the sandy landscape sandwiched between glass panels an initial shape.

ant city display

The ants, in turn, are following their instincts, creating custom routes that evolve the existing cityscape, all set prominently on display at the the Office for Metropolitan Information.

ant farm closeup

The pending project results have potential to show how nature takes its course with cities over time, highlighting the intersection of planning and organic forces, and may add a new layer of meaning to EUsociality. It also just looks awesome.

urban ant farm

“OMI is an initiative of UrbanGuides, Perplekcity and Ossip Architecture Photography. These organizations offer city explorations, urban planning and photography combined in one place.”

ant farm urbanism

“In addition, an array of books and city guides have been collected and are presented at OMI, in collaboration with NAi Booksellers. Urban Ant City installation of STUDIO 1:1 is realized together with AIR, the architectural centre of Rotterdam.”

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Life in a glass case… we peer at new Pentax full-frame DSLR

24 Oct

Ricoh’s upcoming full-frame Pentax DSLR is getting more real! The last time we saw it, the as yet unnamed camera was barely more than a chunk of carved plastic, but at this week’s Photo Plus Expo in New York, a much more advanced mockup was on display at the Ricoh booth. Briefly. Shortly after we asked for a closer look it was removed permanently from display and locked in a cupboard. Oh well. Click through for some closeups

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Chinese Skywalk: World’s Longest Glass Bridge Spans Two Cliffs

07 Oct

[ By WebUrbanist in Destinations & Sights & Travel. ]

glass suspension bridge

If you thought Twin Peaks was suspenseful, test your mettle on the new glass-bottomed Brave Man’s Bridge connecting two cliffs in the Hunan province of China and spanning nearly 1,000 feet.

glass panel bridge below

glass china walkway

Located in the Shiniuzhai National Geological Park (images by Sina), the bridge employees a new type of glass 25 times stronger than the ordinary variety, achieving its structural purpose despite being just 1 inch thick.

glass kneeling walks

glass bridge above

Framed in steel, the converted bridge previously held wooden walking platforms, but to compete with the rise of glass walkways around the world these were swapped out for glass equivalents.

glass park

glass bridge side

While there are other similarly glass-bottomed bridges arcing out over canyons or crossing natural expanses, this is the longest glass suspension bridge to date. Its engineers have assured the public that it is safe, even if feisty tourists jump on the panels.

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Art Glass Pieces for an Appealing Interior Design

06 Sep

A living space must be decorated by at least one item that directs its attention their way. One of the best items to place in your common living spaces is a piece of art glass. Made with great care, through long processing and with a high sense of art, these art glasses are your next […]
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