Solarban® 60 Solargray® Glass Balances Solar Control and Aesthetics for Kansas City’s Parkway Towers

Located at 4545 Wornall Road, Parkway Towers is a 12-story condominium building originally built in 1965. The high-rise includes 145 residential units and sits near Mill Creek Park and the shopping, dining and cultural destinations of the Country Club Plaza.

The Parkway Towers major curtainwall rehabilitation and restoration project was completed in 2023. For the project, architect GastingerWalker& specified Solarban^® 60 Solargray^® glass, a combination bringing together two complementary Vitro technologies that deliver a visible light transmittance (VLT) of 35% and solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of 0.25.

Introduced in 2000 as the world’s first double-silver vacuum temperable low-e glass that allowed for post-manufacturing fabrication, Solarban^® 60 glass has surpassed 2.6 billion square feet shipped, helping architects and designers achieve their performance and aesthetic goals.

Solargray^® glass provides the project with a cool, medium-gray appearance and helps control solar heat gain and glare, while its neutral aesthetic is designed to complement a variety of exterior cladding materials.

The Parkway Towers project also highlights the versatility of Solarban^® low-e coatings by Vitro, which can be paired with clear, low-iron or tinted glass to balance performance with a wide range of aesthetic goals.

With its combination of mid-century architecture, contemporary amenities and location on the Country Club Plaza, Parkway Towers continues to serve as a prominent residential presence in Kansas City.

Project Credits:

• Architect: GastingerWalker&
• Vitro Certified^® Fabricator: Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope
• Glazing Contractor: Wausau Window & Wall Systems
• Photography: Tom Kessler

For more information about Vitro Architectural Glass’ full portfolio of glass solutions, visit vitroglazings.com or call 1-855-VTRO-GLS (887-6457).