Bubbles of Glaverbel glass distilled at Nardini

Glaverbel helped to ensure that this magnificent project - dubbed Bolle - saw the light of day.

This singular structure portrays two worlds: a hanging section with two glass spheres supported by struts affording a 360º view of the impressive Grappa grounds, and an underground section which includes a 100-seat auditorium. Between these two sections, illuminated water symbolises the volatile lightness of alcohol. Mr Fuksas sees this architectural masterpiece as a metaphor for the distillation process.

For the spheres (bubbles), which are composed of transparent, helical, double-glazed surfaces, the Sunglass group chose pyrolytic coated glass from Glaverbel because it is easy to process and offers outstanding performance.

These insulating and curved glasses are made up of an external laminated assembly comprising a sheet of green float glass and a sheet of clear Sunergy. Combining these two glasses results in excellent solar protection (SF = 25%) and a very low level of light reflection (LR = 9%), both of which are vital in this context.

The appearance and technical specifications of clear Sunergy make it the ideal solution in terms of meeting technical (including curvature and lamination) and functional (solar protection, low light reflection) requirements for this particularly ambitious project.

For the internal glazing unit, the complex architecture required a glass which was not just curved and laminated but which also had a high-performance thermal coating. The chosen laminated solution therefore includes a low emissivity glass, Planibel G, which enhances interior thermal comfort since it has a U-value of 1.5 W/(m².K).

This project is further proof of Glaverbels know-how in the field of glass production for all types of architectural applications and the production of elegant glazings that are also able to meet the most demanding technical requirements.