Hidden and Expressed Geometry of Glass

Niccolò Baldassini, RFR, Paris, France

Transparency is the main property of glass and the better it is exploited and integrated into the building, the more difficult it is to perceive the shape of the surfaces, to understand the flow of forces and, in particular, to visualize the structural scheme. The design of glass structure is based on different levels of concept that can, but often are not, readable in the final object. The recent architectural interest in blob shapes, the latest technological development, and the comprehension of the structural behavior of glass allow us, today, to reach a new level of technical complexity well-hidden in the very simple and sinuous form of the envelope.

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