Mass Glass Structures

Abstract

Glass has a long tradition as a medium for art and sculptural design. Yet, with a few notable exceptions, these items remain small and studio based. Over the last six years, the author has developed a number of larger scale projects which bridge the gap between architecture and sculpture. These projects incorporate predominantly annealed glass and rely on gravity and mass for stability, yet their simplicity of form belies a complexity of construction. This paper explains the typologies of mass glass structures and explores the geometrical, engineering, manufacturing and installation challenges which have been encountered and overcome in their realization.