22.09.2022
Glass - a material that is now indispensable in modern contemporary architecture. With increasing popularity, glass is already shaping our urban landscapes.
Glass is one of the few transparent materials in construction and is primarily used for window openings - but today's possibilities go far beyond that. In addition to stairs, walls or doors, entire facades can be designed with glass. With people spending majority of time indoors, glass facades provide an opportunity to introduce natural light and transparency into your building. In addition, large glass fronts create connections between the interior and exterior of the building. With diverse aplication possibilities, glass offers architects and planners optimum creative freedom.
The design of the facade makes the first impression of a building. Architects, planners and builders have numerous design options at their disposal. In addition to the glass railing as fall protection, Lumon also offers balcony glazing in different designs. Let's look at some of Lumon Group's award winning building to see how Lumon helps in shaping our urban landscapes!
1) Ørsted's Gardens, Denmark
For the "Ørsted's Gardens" building in Frederiksberg, Denmark, narrow arcades were transformed into spacious balcony corridors. This not only creates additional space for residents, but also protects the facade from any deterioration.
The corridors, glazed with Lumon products, not only provide access to the apartments, but are also designed to have vertical gardens that allow for spontaneous meetings between neighbors. The renoverin.dk bulletin states that before it was renovated, Ørsted's Gardens was described by its own residents as the building with the ugliest facade. Today, this building in Frederiksberg can be described as the best renovation in Denmark: the project was awarded the Renovation Prize 2021. The architectural design of the project comes from Tegnestuen LOKAL Architects.
2) Pasila Tripla, Finland
The Pasila Tripla construction project in Helsinki was the result of a three-and-a-half-year collaboration between the YIT Corporation and Lumon. The building consists of over 400 apartments, all with glazed balconies. The entire front of the building is covered with a multidimensional balcony facade. The balconies consist of a combination of Lumon glass railings and frameless balcony glazing. In 2021, Tripla was awarded the title "Glass Building of the Year 2020" by the Finnish Association of Flat Glass.
"From the architects' point of view, the structure should be well defined and simple. The number of additional components, such as fasteners, should be kept to a minimum. The details must be clearly visible, which is why it is best to use a structure as simple as possible," summarizes the head architect Matti Linko from the architects' office Soini & Horto.
The facade consists of glazed balconies that run the full length of the apartments. Lumon's various product solutions enabled the realization of this vision. “We had several meetings with a representative from Lumon's design department. Lumon prepared plans and technical documents based on our requirements and then delivered a perfect solution with postless balcony railings. Frameless balcony glazing is a must” says Linko.
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3) Coco, Canada
COCO is a six-storey concrete multi-family building exemplifying high-quality and thoughtful densification. It is the first multi-family development in Vancouver to feature Lumon Canada‘s retractable balcony glass. When fully closed, the system creates an acoustic and climatic buffer that allows for greater privacy, functionality, and use of the balcony in all weather conditions. The glazing system also works to create a dynamic vertical façade for the building’s north side.
From an architectural perspective, it also works to combine elegance and Nordic simplicity, while bringing life to the facade itself through the ways in which residents choose to put the units to use! The project is also the first concrete project to include Lumon's concept within North America. From the developer's perspective, a major benefit has been the ability to provide access to 'safe spaces' from inside the units, with significant protection from noise, considering the proximity of passing traffic.
In 2022, Coco was the finalist for two 2022 Georgie awards: ”Best Multi-Family Low Rise Development” and “Best Innovative Feature” categories.
If you're looking to find more information on why you should choose Lumon balcony facades acress Canada, you can follow this link!
Curious to learn more about Lumon balcony glazing? Our experts will be happy to advise you on your individual project and construction project.
