Quiet please – one for the archives

The fundamental role of glass in the built environment is to allow light into spaces while keeping the elements out. But it often also plays a defining aesthetic role too, giving buildings their form and setting them apart as a piece of design work, according to Pilkington UK.

That was the case with the glazing installation at the newly refurbished Elmhurst Library in Queens, New York. Two structurally glazed ‘jewel boxes’ now dominate the street-facing part of the building, enticing visitors to enter the space.

The refurbishment of the historic building – originally constructed in 1906 – was a significant project for Queens, doubling the floor-space of the building and modernising facilities to meet the needs of today’s library users. The newly opened facility is expected to attract more than 1.2 million visitors per year, making it one of the busiest libraries in the USA.

Engineers from Pilkington Architectural and Pilkington Planar partner installer W&W Glass worked closely with the architect during the design process to specify a system that would deliver maximum transparency, as well as high levels of structural strength.

The boxes are constructed from heavy-duty Pilkington Optiwhite low-iron insulating glass units with a low-e coating, which reduces heat-loss from the space by reducing the amount of radiation of energy outwards from the building. Adding to the visual impact of the glazing, as well as helping reduce excessive heating and glare from the sun, is a white, silk-screened ‘frit’ of vertical lines.

For the roof, Pilkington Optiwhite toughened and heat-strengthened laminated glass was used to deliver the required mechanical strength.

The glass walls are supported by cantilevered Pilkington Optiwhite low-iron SentryGlas laminated glass fins, which lend high levels of structural support without significantly reducing the transparency of the system.

Jeff Haber, managing partner at W&W Glass, said: “The quality of the system itself and the excellent service and engineering support that comes along with it, makes Pilkington the go-to choice for structural glazing. The results achieved on this building are testament to that.”