The adhesively-bonded glass brick system of the Qaammat Pavilion in Greenland: From research to realization

An adhesively bonded, solid-glass brick pavilion has been designed by Konstantin Arkitekter as a landmark within the Aasivissuit – Nipisat UNESCO heritage in Greenland. The sculptural glass structure, measuring approximately 3.2 m in diameter × 2 m in height, faces a diverse set of engineering challenges compared to existing adhesively bonded...

Cast Glass Architecture in Extreme Conditions

In Between: An Interlayer Material Study for Interlocking Cast Glass Blocks

Interlocking cast glass assemblies are a promising solution for architectural cast-glass applications aiming for high transparency and a reversible structure that allows the reuse of the glass components (Oikonomopoulou et al.,2018; Oikonomopoulou,2019b). In such a system, an interlayer material between the glass elements is essential, to assist...

Adhesive solutions for cast glass assemblies: Ground rules emerging from built case studies on adhesive selection and experimental validation

Cast glass is a promising, three-dimensional expression of the material for architectural and structural applications, particularly for the creation of all-transparent, self-supporting structures and envelopes. Typically applied in the form of solid blocks, cast glass components can be used as repetitive units to comprise fully-transparent, cast...

Rethinking the Cast Glass Mould: An Exploration on Novel Techniques for Generating Complex and Customized Geometries

This paper explores two alternative mould fabrication technologies that allow for the casting of (solid) glass components with a great degree of freedom in shape and size and/or of a customized design, in a cost-efficient way. In specific, the paper discusses the research, design and experimental work conducted at TU Delft on 3D-printed sand...

The potential of cast glass in structural applications: Lessons learned from large-scale castings and state-of-the art load-bearing cast glass in architecture

This paper investigates the potential of cast glass structural components in architectural applications. Initially, the commonly applied casting methods, glass types and mould types are discussed. To address both the possibilities and limitations in the size and form of cast glass components, an overview of the largest monolithic pieces of...

The construction of the Crystal Houses façade: challenges and innovations

A novel glass brick façade has been designed and engineered to reproduce the original brick façade of a former townhouse in Amsterdam. Based on the original design the resulting façade comprises more than 6500 solid glass bricks, reinterpreting the traditional brick pattern, and elaborated cast glass elements for the replication of the window...

Authenticity of light: Transformation of historic buildings with structural glass components

This MSc. Thesis research attempts to research the spatial distribution of natural light as it interacts with the glass brick masonry façade, in terms of both its quantitative- and qualitative characteristics, with the aim of applying this material in the transformation of historic buildings. An elaborate research on the visual effects of light...

Restorative Glass: Reversible, discreet restoration using structural glass components

The application of structural glass as the principal material in restoration and conservation practices is a distinguishable, yet discreet approach. The transparency of glass allows the simultaneous perception of the monument at both its original and present condition, preserving its historical and aesthetical integrity. Concurrently, the...

A study about the structural and thermal performance of large glass masonry façade

There are already lot of glass structures, using big size elements that prove that glass is a strong material that can compete the other more conventional building materials. However, the use of solid cast glass bricks glued with a transparent UV cured adhesive is not common and it is first utilized in the façade of the Crystal House in...