Technology: Load-Bearing Glazing in Hybrid Structures
In order to achieve greater transparency and to create more slender structures, many architects and engineers are working to extend the boundaries of innovative glass construction. In realizing a new, more efficient generation of glazed structures, the solution should not be simply to increase the glass thickness, however. A better answer might lie in developing existing concepts further. Instead of largely eliminating non-transparent materials like concrete or steel - as was the case with the glazed roof over the Maximilian Museum in Augsburg (ill. 1; see DETAIL 5/2001) - the next generation of glazed buildings might exercise an even greater fascination through a combination of glass with steel or concrete to create innovative hybrid structures. rnThis calls for high-end engineering and advanced calculations as well as optimal teamwork in applying opaque elements in situations where they are of greatest advantage. The projects discussed here are perhaps only one step away from a new generation of glass structures with even larger dimensions and more efficient combinations of materials.
