From the Editor

Riding the Rails
By Ellen Rogers

Just as North American architects look to those in Europe for new ideas, inspirations and trends, so, too, do architects in Australia, who not only look at Europe, but North America as well. Regardless of where the trends or design styles all started, architects everywhere seem to be embracing the innovative use of glass.

Earlier this year I had the opportunity to travel to Australia and was amazed at the number of hotel and condo buildings that featured glass balustrades and handrails on their balconies. While such applications are not uncommon in the United States, I’ve never seen the amount here compared to Australia. On one street alone, building after building after building had a glass balustrade. It was as though a glass balustrade was just as essential to the structure as the windows.

While the use of glass railings and balustrades in hotels and condos may be somewhat more common in Australia than it is here, a recent project in Tennessee has taken glass guardrail applications to new heights. The Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, underwent a facelift not too long ago through which old metal railings were replaced with a glass railing system—but not just any railing system—a structural silicone glazed guardrail system, described by those involved as the first of its kind in North America. For spectators, it’s nearly invisible as no fasteners can be seen.

To create this wall of glass, architects specified an anti-reflective glass from Schott that features a black opacifier from GlassKote USA, which was used to hide the concrete structure of the floor. You can read more about this project starting on page 16.

As technologies continue to evolve, new products are developed and the market becomes more aware of all that’s possible with glass, it’s exciting to think of what the future holds. As always, feel free to e-mail me news and images of your latest projects. We are always looking to highlight those that feature unique and extensive uses of glass. AG

P.S. If you have a question about glass and/or curtainwall design, engineerig or applications, please visit us online at www.glassguides.com and our team of industry experts may be able to provide you with the information you are looking for or point you in the right direction. It's a free service of the Architect's Guide to Glass & Metal.

Ellen Rogers is the editor of the Architects’ Guide to Glass & Metal.