An innovative Insulating Glass Unit

Albert Vidal

The new Silken Hotel in London business and financial centre introduces a new challenge in architectural glass applications. The production of a 2.5 m high, 2 m width corner shaped Insulating Glass Unit (IGU) consisting of two leaves joined at 90º using an absolutely transparent mitred joint.

This paper describes the design and engineering of this innovative product emphasizing on stages which have been decisive to obtain a reliable product.

Long term integrity against moisture penetration, a key factor due to the lack of spacer inside its vertical joint, is solved trough an intense and creative conceptual design.

Manufacturing and installation steps trivial for conventional IGUs have been proved to be critical for this application. The solutions adopted are illustrated.

Full text article [267 KB]

The Authors