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The PVB interlayer in the laminated glass helps to protect priceless Dalí masterpieces from damaging UV rays

Laminated glass helps protect priceless Dalí masterpieces from damaging UV rays

Catalan genius Salvador Dalí designed a geodesic cupola for the Teatre-Museum Dalí in Figueres, Spain in 1969, based on Richard Buckminster Fuller's groundbreaking invention of this type of dome in 1964. Dalí's cupola was completed by the brilliant young Spanish architect Emilio Pinero and has become an icon for admirers of Dalí's surrealist art. The original cupola was made of acrylic but over time, its structure had become severely deformed; it leaked rain and had become unsafe.

The new laminated glass cupola complies with today's safety standards

A windy day in March 1998 saw the replacement of the acrylic done by a new laminated glass cupola designed by architects Clotet, Paricio i Associats of Barcelona and manufactured by Talleres Inox SA. The words of Ignacio Paricio: "We were able to respect Pinero's design goals regarding the unique look, feel and transparency of the structure while adding the benefits of contemporary glass laminating technology such as lower solar gain and UV blocking. And the use of laminated glass enabled us to bring this stunning cupola into compliance with contemporary safety standards."

Laminated glass constructions display better performance characteristics over time than plastic equivalents, which tend to deteriorate due to deformation, aging, discoloring and scratching.

PRIZE-WINNING GLASS CONSTRUCTION

No less than 2,200 glass panes of an enormous variety of different shapes and sizes – triangles, pentagons and regular and irregular hexagons – were cut and supplied for the cupola by Arino Duglass SA of Zaragoza. Together with Clotet, Paricio i Associats, Arino Duglass won Spain's prestigious Construmat architectural price in 1999 for the project.

Juan Jose Perez from the technical department of Arino Duglass said: "The exterior pane made of tempered glass with a double low-E metal coating on the inner layer. The interior pane is made of laminated glass (3+3 mm) for safety; we needed to ensure that the 12,500 kg glass cupola would not come crashing down in the case of breakage or accident. The PVB in the laminated glass also provides a valuable, additional block to UV rays, thus protecting the priceless works of art in the Teatre-Museum Dalí which are enjoyed by more than 700,000 visitors per year."

The Mayor of Figueres, Joan Armanguel Ribas, said: "The renovation was achieved in the way Dalí would have wanted; it means that Dalí's cupola will continue to be the symbol of Figueres to the outside world into the next millennium."