Workers have begun to install more than 3,100 panes of laminated Starphire Ultra-Clear® glass by Vitro Glass, featuring AviProtek® bird-friendly Velour acid-etched finish by Walker Glass, over the Tropical Rainforest exhibit at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh.
The new, bent glazing, fabricated by Dlubak Specialty Glass, replaces the single-strength annealed float glass that was installed during the habitat’s original construction in 1952. Architectural representatives from Vitro Glass worked with bird experts at the National Aviary to develop a custom glass specification for the project, which incorporates complete acid-etched coverage on the exterior (#1) surface of an ultra-premium, low-iron glass.
The glass configuration also enhances bird safety by preventing birds of prey living outside the National Aviary from seeing and attempting to reach potential prey living inside the building. In addition, the translucent finish will maximize ultraviolet (UV) and natural light transmittance to help sustain bird and plant life inside the habitat.
The new glass is part of a $1.2 million renovation of the exhibit.
To learn more about Starphire Ultra-Clear glass, visit www.vitroglazings.com.