Best glass you've seen on a large building

dleung · #1 Posted **Jun 24, 2010, 11:07 PM**

I'm trying to find examples of a large-scale curtain wall installation, where the glass is extremely high-quality... ie: with no warp whatsoever in the reflection? The best glass I've seen recently is:

Promod store in Prague

panoramio.com

Bitexco Tower in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

flickr.com
The above photo makes the glass look better than what it is, giving the appearnce of no mullions, and implying a slight fish-scale overlap of glass panels between floors. Unfortunately, the glass panes don't overlap in reality, and there are aluminum mullions as shown below:

taken by SG HCMC on SSP
Some of the glass panels appear curved, so it can't be too cheap =)

The best example from Vancouver would be Jameson House which is under construction:

photo taken by The Movement from SSC

Any other examples of nice glass?

SkyscrapersOfNewYork · #2 Posted **Jun 24, 2010, 11:15 PM**

taken by me

off the top of my head ill have to say 7 WTC

dleung · #3 Posted **Jun 24, 2010, 11:41 PM**

Here's the reflection in the glass at 7 WTC:

I wonder if there's any curtain wall out there that has no warping in the reflection?

SkyscrapersOfNewYork · #4 Posted **Jun 25, 2010, 12:02 AM**

taken by me

another trade center 7 reflection

SkyscrapersOfNewYork · #5 Posted **Jun 25, 2010, 12:03 AM**

BrandonJXN · #6 Posted **Jun 25, 2010, 1:46 AM**

Those 2 buildings in Houston that used to be the Enron headquarters. Name escapes me....

Tower6 · #7 Posted **Jun 25, 2010, 1:59 AM**

Prayer spire

HERE IS THE LINK!!!http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...dral_Tower.jpg

WilliamTheArtist · #8 Posted **Jun 25, 2010, 2:12 AM**

One City Hall in Tulsa....

By mynewclevername on flickr

Jasonhouse · #9 Posted **Jun 25, 2010, 2:20 AM**

My guess is the newer the building, the better condition the glass will be in... Also, buildings in climates lacking volatile temperature swings would probably fare better too... Like perhaps Hawaii, SoCal, etc...

SouthmoreAve · #10 Posted **Jun 25, 2010, 3:37 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThreeHundred

Those 2 buildings in Houston that used to be the Enron headquarters. Name escapes me....

1400 Smith Street(taller) and 1500 Louisiana Street

http://www.flickr.com/photos/pancamo...57622453617594

http://www.flickr.com/photos/21586553@N02/2321814663

There's also MainPlace in Houston, and its much taller now, but this is a good shot of the high quality glass it has.

Photolitherland

And Hess Tower is nearly complete as well, but another good shot of the glass.

Photolitherland

Lots of good glass buildings in Houston.

SkyscrapersOfNewYork · #11 Posted **Jun 25, 2010, 5:00 AM**

taken by me

personally ive always loved the facade of the Hearst Tower and Time Warner Center

dleung · #12 Posted **Jun 25, 2010, 4:10 PM**

To allude to what I was getting at... here's an example of really bad glass:

ny.curbed.com

Are there any examples of the exact opposite? Like perfectly flat glass that causes no ripples/warps in the reflection?

uaarkson · #13 Posted **Jun 25, 2010, 4:48 PM**

The Shard in London has the flattest/cleanest, highest quality cladding I've ever seen. I don't have any photos to post at the moment, though.

dleung · #14 Posted **Jun 27, 2010, 6:43 AM**

Toronto's Four Seasons hotel and condo (note quality of the reflections)

images from interchange42 from urbantoronto

Aleks · #15 Posted **Jun 27, 2010, 8:22 AM**

I think the Bixteco tower has the best glass so far. The worst is 7WTC, but at least it tried. I think 7WTC has an awesome facade and it sure looks heck of a lot better (glass quality look wise) than many buildings around it.

One of my favorite ones (aside from Bixteco) is the Guangzhou Twin Tower West. It's glass is just amazingly sexy and smooth.

both from: venisusky, www.skyscrapercity.com

muppet · #16 Posted **Jun 27, 2010, 10:07 AM**

yeah, you beat me to it...

pix thanks to Tina Mo, www.motiancity.com

muppet · #17 Posted **Jun 27, 2010, 10:26 AM**

This is the glass on London's Shard at the mo:

Thanx to Chest, www.skyscrapercity.com

...and this is One New Change near St Paul's

DarJole, www.skyscrapercity.com

DarJole, www.skyscrapercity.com

Gothicform, www.skyscrapercity.com

Thanx to Luke, www.skyscrapercitry.com

www.cranesetc.co.uk

DarJole, www.skyscrapercity.com

wawd, www.skyscrapercity.com

inno4321 · #18 Posted **Jun 27, 2010, 2:06 PM**

Geumcheongu-office hall, Seoul
http://english.geumcheon.go.kr/EG.do?method=Index
taken by me(inno4321)

SkyscrapersOfNewYork · #19 Posted **Jun 27, 2010, 2:26 PM**

[QUOTE=Aleks;4892824]I think the Bixteco tower has the best glass so far. The worst is 7WTC, but at least it tried. I think 7WTC has an awesome facade and it sure looks heck of a lot better (glass quality look wise) than many buildings around it.

What???? WTC 7 has some of the best glass ive ever seen. you need to see it in person to appreciate it.

Aleks · #20 Posted **Jun 28, 2010, 5:41 PM**

i was comparing it to other buildings in this thread. i said it looks better than many buildings around it.

i just hope all the new wtc buildings have better glass. i'm not hoping for bitexco/guangzhou ttw quality, but i hope it looks less distorted than 7wtc's.