GLASS CASE STUDY GUARDIAN GLASS

Jumbo Glass Brings Arts Center into the Community

Photos courtesy of Guardian Glass/doublespace photography

Project: National Arts Centre
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Architect: Diamond Schmitt Architects

The Project: Diamond Schmitt Architects has designed new public spaces and a new entry that, for the first time, connects the National Arts Centre (NAC) to the community. Originally completed in the late 1960s, the NAC is a landmark building with a range of performance and production spaces and has developed a storied history of excellence in the presentation of music, drama, and dance from across Canada. The rejuvenation includes an upgrade of 20,000 square feet of the existing building’s three floors and the addition of a 60,000-square-foot extension. The centerpiece of the project is its new central tower and atrium. In addition to its new exterior, the centre has been expanded to include another stage, a new ticket office, extra wings for events and more public space.

The Challenge: The 1967 brutalist building’s design placed the main entrance on the canal side instead of the city side of the structure. It was only accessible by car, and in the tradition of that architectural style, the structure had few windows.

The Solution: Diamond Schmitt Architects’ vision “turned” the centre so that the new entrance embraces the city and pedestrian traffic. The retrofit was designed to meet the needs of a new audience. The new wings are constructed of exposed wood and framed on a custom-designed glass curtain wall system that pushes the limits of glass innovation. The introduction of 23,000 square feet of high-performance, low-e coating on jumbo, low-iron glass brings value to the setting by giving patrons and visitors openness and warmth for events from day to evening. Jumbo insulating glass units deliver uninterrupted views in and out, opening the NAC to the city. The use of the specified coating on low-iron glass ensures those views have striking clarity.

Fabricated by Carey Glass and installed by Verval, the glass curtain wall, which includes insulating glass units up to 95 by 228 inches, gives staff and performers another vessel to communicate to the public. The use of glass is a counterpoint to all the enclosed concrete that previously shaped the NAC. The high-performance, low-e coated glass brings in abundant natural light while also controlling solar heat gain so those open spaces at the NAC don’t overheat.

The Results: The new retrofit is already bringing down the house: The Ottawa Urban Design Awards honored the retrofit with an Award of Excellence for Urban Infill. All year long, the high-performance, low-e coating on the jumbo, low-iron glass provides the transparency and beauty that invites patrons in.

LOUVERS CASE STUDY

Exemplifying Freedom, in Airflow and in Spirit

Photo courtesy of Construction Specialties

Project: 4 World Trade Center
Location: New York City
Architect: Maki and Associates

The Project: As Maki and Associates began designing 4 World Trade Center, the firm started with the goal of paying homage to its location at the southeast corner of the original World Trade Center site, while also creating a backdrop for the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Housing a range of public and private tenants, 4 World Trade Center’s occupants (and mechanical systems) need plenty of fresh air and protection from the elements, all while getting a sprawling, beautiful bird’s-eye view of one of the world’s great cities.

The Challenge: The sixth-tallest structure in New York City, the building can face intense wind and water at its higher floors. Replacing the original 4 World Trade Center, the 72-story building would require world-class products, just like its predecessor did when it was originally built in 1975. Equipped with a sheer metallic blue curtain wall over the structure’s steel framework, a glass facade creates a flat exterior plane that bears an iconic aesthetic that harmonizes beautifully with the rest of the new World Trade Center complex.

The Solution: The structure, which takes the shape of a parallelogram at its base and a trapezoid up top, relies on storm-resistant louvers to provide superior water infiltration defense amid gusting winds and rain. Coated with a metallic finish, mechanical louvers were oriented on lower floors as thin vertical slits for added visual appeal. A range of products were considered, and Maki and Associates specified storm-resistant vertical louvers for their proven weather resistance and performance.

The Results: Louvers now make an impact across the entire new World Trade Center complex. At the iconic One World Trade Center, more than 166,000 square feet of storm-resistant fixed horizontal louvers built from 429 tons of aluminum span its topmost floors to provide Class A wind-driven rain resistance while blending seamlessly into its stunning glass curtain wall. A stone’s throw away, at the state-of-the-art World Trade Center Transportation Hub (a.k.a. “The Oculus”), blast-resistant horizontal louvers assist with airflow while providing blast resistance at the base of the structure’s “ribs.” The visually poignant 800,000-square-foot hub, completed in 2016, serves 250,000 commuters daily and is the third-largest transportation center in New York City. Ultimately, the facility will connect guests to 11 subway lines and World Trade Center Towers 1, 2, 3, and 4.