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Safety and delight in public attractions – with laminated glass

Laminated glass 'palace' of London's Mayor will take the shape of a giant glass egg near historic Tower Bridge

Laminated glass 'palace' of London's Mayor will take the shape of a giant glass egg

The future laminated glass 'palace' of London's Mayor (completion: 2002) will take the shape of a giant glass egg located near London's historic Tower Bridge. It will be a landmark building, providing the mayor with a spectacular platform from which to present his views, not just to London but to the country as a whole.

TRANSPARENT DEMOCRACY

The building will be largely transparent, thanks to a frontal façade of transparent laminated glass. This will provide spectacular views for the people working in the building. Equally, it will allow Londoners to see their elected assembly at work. Architects Foster and Partners says that the purpose of the lens façade is to bring the public into the process of transparent democracy – from the debating chamber to 'London's Living Room', a flexible space on the ninth floor that can be used for exhibitions or functions. The rooftop is also given over the public.

The debating chamber: laminated glass lets in light and gives great views of the city while keeping out urban noise.

Foster architect Richard Hyams told LGN: "Laminated glass is used for the 'lens' section of the façade which is the glazed skin of the eight-story debating chamber. The material was selected for safety as the vertical front becomes overhead at the top, and because the debating chamber has a high acoustic rating."

EFFECTIVE NOISE REDUCTION

"We needed to keep out low frequency noise from helicopters and barges. Therefore we plan to use a double-glazed, insulated glass unit incorporating laminated glass with two PVB interlayers of 0.76 mm."

"The form of the building keeps it environmentally efficient. Since the sphere leans to the south, it provides self-shading. The laminated glass lens façade faces due north and is not flooded with direct sunlight, so we could make it clear and transparent. Whereas the offices, on the other side of the building, have a set of blinds to shade the glass." The building features a number of other innovative energy-saving systems such as the recycling of heat generated by computers, lights and people.