Installation of new bird-friendly glass at National Aviary nears halfway point

With just over a month to go before the grand reopening, workers at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh have installed nearly half of a new bird-friendly glass canopy that will cover the facility’s historic Tropical Rainforest exhibit.

When completed, the project will feature 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. The custom glass specification, developed by experts from Vitro Architectural Glass and the National Aviary, will make birds inside and outside the habitat safer, while maximizing ultraviolet (UV) and natural light transmittance to help sustain wildlife and plant life inside exhibit.

The new glass replaces original single-strength annealed float glass that has been in place since the exhibit opened more than 65 years ago. Vitro Architectural Glass is one of several Pittsburgh-area organizations sponsoring the $1.2 million renovation, which is slated for completion in July.

To learn more about Starphire Ultra-Clear glass, visit www.vitroglazings.com.