The factory site for the Shanghai Glass Co. contains some thirty industrial buildings some of which are still in glass manufacture related use. However, the site owner recognise its a dated industrial landscape and that regeneration of the works district is required. As with most regeneration stories a Parti is required, or as it is now known, an iconic looking building that will attract visitors. In recent times, in some cities in China, it has appeared that architecture's purpose was to shout louder than the last building. One wonders where such inclinations might stop? To a degree, the answer it seems is the Shanghai Museum of Glass by
Logon. If for no other reason than it displays admirable restraint, it is worth a close look, but I suggest that it is worth looking at for its own architectural merits.
The industrial site is set to become the G+ Park, a centre of glass manufacture, related art, research and development so a museum about glass seems a good place to start. The museum is adapted from two existing buildings but its main design feature is a glass façade. The façade is made from industrial 'U' channel glass from Germany that has been further processed by sandblasting, and clever lighting to create an original façade that stands as an appropriate expression for what the place is about.
