Interlayers from Kuraray dominate at annual awards

Kuraray’s Advanced Interlayer Solutions (AIS) Division is delighted to announce that its class-leading interlayer solutions feature in five of the 10 projects that topped their respective categories in this year’s ‘US Glass Magazine’ Design Awards.

Established to recognize excellence in architectural glass, the awards cover all facets of the industry and includes both structural and aesthetic applications. These category wins highlight the breadth of applications and geographical locations in which Kuraray’s advanced interlayers are deployed.

The Structural Glass Façade category was won by Le Visionnaire - Espace François Dalle, in Paris, an ovoid-shaped glass roof, which comprises 188 unique double-curved, fritted, insulating glass panels, laminated using Trosifol® UltraClear, a highly transparent PVB film that offers the industry’s lowest yellowing value and proven long-term stability. The laminator in this project was sedak GmbH & Co. KG, and the contract glazier was Bellapart Group.

The award for Structural Glass Floors and Stairs went to the Pasarela Diamante, a 45 m-long skywalk and eight storey observation tower sited 1 km above the city of Baos de Agua Santa in Ecuador. Crucial to both the functional and aesthetics capabilities of the 32 mm panels, the SentryGlas® ionoplast interlayer used in their construction has a global application footprint thanks to the possibilities delivered by its outstanding structural capabilities. The glazier in this project was FAIRIS C.A.

The High-rise Construction category was won by One Za’abeel, a fascinating two-block development, connected to each other at a height of 100 m by a link bridge – the world’s longest in an occupied cantilevered building. The high-performance multi-layered glass cladding features both Sound Control PVB films and SentryGlas® interlayers, for sound attenuation and post-breakage performance respectively, with both contributing to the building’s outstanding aesthetics. The laminator in this project was the Al Abbar Group.

For the Low-rise Construction category, the award went to the Oman Across Ages Museum, which uses the SentryGlas® interlayer in steel-coloured glazing panels that are designed to enhance the visual appeal of the building and maximise natural light. The panels’ multi-layer construction provides excellent insulation, enhancing energy efficiency and sustainability. The laminator in this project was Future Architectural Glass LLC.

The Podium Space winner was Two Manhattan West, a 58-storey office complex in New York. The lobby’s first-of-its-kind curved cable wall utilizes a number of innovative functional and design features that help maintain a clean and transparent façade unencumbered by mechanical fixings. The glazed panels in the cable wall system use the SentryGlas® interlayer for its excellent transparency and post-breakage performance. The architect in this project was Eckersley O´Callaghan and the laminator was sedak GmbH & Co. KG.

“We are delighted that we have played such a key role in so many iconic buildings and structures,” said Alberto Alarcon, Global Marketing Communications Leader at AIS. “Our interlayers are used in so many places, but even though you can’t see them, you can rest assured that they are delivering critical functional and aesthetic capabilities and will do so for many years to come.”

You can find a full list of categories and award winners on the ‘US Glass Magazine’ website, here.

For more information about Kuraray´s Trosifol® PVB and SentryGlas® ionoplast products, please visit the website or connect with us on our social media channels.