Structural Glass

Structural glass refers to glass engineered and detailed to carry structural load, whether as glass fins stiffening a wall of glazing, glass beams and floor panels, or all-glass staircases and facades assembled with structural silicone or bolted point-fixings rather than conventional metal framing. Made possible by advances in tempered and laminated glass technology through the late twentieth century, it allows architects to build walls, roofs and stairs that appear almost frameless, and it is now a recognizable feature of high-end retail and cultural architecture, popularized in part by Apple's minimalist glass-cube and glass-staircase store designs.