Top 5 Amazing Glass Structures
Monday, April 20th, 2009Here at SEHBAC as we specialise in manufacturing and installing double glazing, doors and conservatories, we are well used to working with glass for both domestic and commercial projects. Nevertheless, we’re still blown away by these truly amazing glass structures - to follow are our top five:
1. Grand Canyon Skywalk
The Grand Canyon Skywalk is a tourist attraction, funded by Hualapai Indian tribe in partnership with Chinese-American businessman David Jin.
The horseshoe-shaped glass walkway stands at a 3,600 feet above the floor of the canyon. The Skywalk is not directly above the main canyon, Granite Gorge, which contains the Colorado River. Instead it extends over a side canyon and affords a view into the main canyon.
Skywalk protrudes 20 metres (66 ft) beyond the edge of the canyon. The walls and floor are built from glass 4 inches (102 mm) thick. Whilst this is clearly not for the faint-hearted, or those with a fear of heights you can’t fail to be impressed by the structure and the amazing views it affords.
2. Bailong Elevator
The Bailong Elevator is a glass elevator built onto the side of a huge cliff in Zhangjiajie, China. At 1,070 feet (330 m) high, this elevator is claimed to be the highest and heaviest outdoor elevator in the world.
The Bailong Elevator has set three Guinness world Records - World’s tallest full-exposure outdoor elevator, world’s tallest double-deck sightseeing elevator and world’s fastest passenger traffic elevator with biggest carrying capacity.
However, the future of this elevator is uncertain as officials claim that the elevator is causing environmental issues.
Image credit kazuhito
3. 30 St Mary Axe, ‘The Gherkin’
30 St Mary Axe, also known as the Gherkin and the Swiss Re Building, is a skyscraper in London’s main financial district. Completed in December 2003 it is 180 metres (591 ft) tall, with 40 floors.
The building uses energy-saving methods which allow it to use half the power a similar tower would typically consume. Gaps in each floor create six shafts that serve as a natural ventilation system for the entire building even though required firebreaks on every sixth floor interrupt the “chimney.” The shafts create a giant double glazing effect; air is sandwiched between two layers of glazing and insulates the office space inside.
The shafts pull warm air out of the building during the summer and warm the building in the winter using passive solar heating. The shafts also allow sunlight to pass through the building, making for a more pleasant work environment and reducing lighting costs.
In December 2005, the building was voted the most admired new building in the world, in a survey of the world’s largest firms of architects.
Image credit Loz Flowers
4. The Observation Deck at the Calgary Tower
The Calgary Tower is a 191 meter (627 foot) free standing observation tower in Calgary, Canada.
The structure was designed by W.G. Milne & A. Dale and Associates. At the time of construction, it was the tallest structure in Canada, although it was surpassed that same year by the Toronto-Dominion Centre in Toronto, prior to opening. The official opening took place on June 30, 1968.
Image credit bchow
5. Werner Sobek’s R128
Sobek was born 1953 in Aalen, Germany. From 1974 to 1980, he studied structural engineering and architecture at the University of Stuttgart. From 1980 to 1986, he was post-graduate fellow in the research project ‘Wide-Span Lightweight Structures’ at the University of Stuttgart and finished his PhD 1987 in structural engineering.
In 1992 he founded his own engineering firm Werner Sobek Ingenieure. Since 1995, he has been a professor at the University of Stuttgart.
His glass house is located in Stuttgart, Germany. Clearly not suitable for shy types, this home has no walls or closed rooms.
The building is completely recyclable, produces no emissions and is self-sufficient in terms of heating energy requirement. The electrical energy required is produced by solar cells. Image credit Werner Sobek
