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Award-winning lens ceiling of the Phoenix Courthouse incorporates DuPont^™ SentryGlas^® Plus ionoplast interlayer

From a Laminated Glass News interview with Matt King, Associate, Façade Engineering Group, Ove Arup New York

Matt King

"We have just completed the design work on the Lens Ceiling for the Phoenix Courthouse with Jamie Carpenter and architect Richard Meier (project completion: 2000). It is a cable-suspended, internal glass ceiling spanning 30 m inside a circular drum structure".

As it is not subjected to high imposed loading, the design team was primarily concerned with developing a robust system, capable of safely holding together even in the event of breakage under seismic loads.

Lens ceiling for Phoenix Courthouse

"We specified a laminated build-up using SentryGlas^® Plus ionoplast security interlayer by DuPont for the roof panels. We tested the build-up for its performance under impact by dropping a 4.2 kg steel ball from increasing heights until failure occurred. The panel was then left for a half-hour, with the weight still on the panel."

"The results of the tests were very reassuring. Not only did the glass fail safely, holding together without significant deflection even with both panes broken, but we were even able to walk on the broken panel after completion of all tests!"

"Personally, I believe products such as SentryGlas^® Plus are going to play an even more significant role in developing architectural glass solutions in the future. It's our philosophy at Ove Arup to try to build into our projects as much robustness as practically possible. High performance interlayers like SentryGlas^® Plus greatly extend the boundaries of what is achievable."