STRUCTURAL GLASS FACADES - USC School of Architecture

The vaulted enclosure spans six tracks, curves slightly in plan following the curvature of the tracks, and
the section gradually reduces toward each end as the vaults move away from the central station. Flat,
multi-centered arched cable trusses are set on 13-meter (43 feet) centers, and cable-stiffened grid
shells span between the trusses. (Schlaich & Gugeler 2005, p.3)
That the technology can embrace such enormous complexity in geometry and form has
been of the utmost interest to the small group of highly innovative practitioners that have
developed it and pioneered its use. There will always be a tip of the pyramid to this
technology, the cutting edge in long-span glass facades represented by highly custom,
innovative designs that push the envelope of the technology beyond the current state of the
art. The intent here is to explore the potential for harvesting the spin-off from these
predecessor structures, repackaging it in a simplified, efficient, more accessible form with
broader potential market application, and transferring the resulting technology to a new
group of users.
1.2 Historical Context
Structural glass façade technology is not new, having emerged from a variety of highly
innovative experimental structures over the past three decades or more. With roots in
Northern Europe, the technology can be traced back to a select few seminal projects and
among a handful of pioneering architects and engineers. From a broader perspective
however, structural glass façade technology can be seen as a prominent branch on the
evolutionary glass tree, commencing with humankind’s early development of glass as a
material and most especially, the later development of glass as an architectural material.
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