World’s 7th tallest skyscraper shines with advanced glass technology
Chicago-based architecture firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP has recently completed a 530m glass skyscraper in Tianjin, making it the tallest building in northern China and the seventh tallest in the world. All glass facades were supplied by CSG Holding, the largest architectural glass manufacturer in China and produced on machinery from Glaston.
Located in the Tianjin Economic-Technological Development Area in the north eastern port city, Tianjin Finance Centre (illustrated) is one of the most recent testimonials to SOM’s commitment to excellence, innovation and sustainability. The building features a fluid lyrical shape and a highly efficient and functional all-glass design.
The unconventional, rounded shape of the building required an elaborate glass curtain strategy. Plus, the client’s requirement to use flat glass was adding to the complexity, where hot-bent or cold-bent glass would be considered the easiest for creating such designs.
To accommodate the challenge, staggered glass panels were used with make-up aluminium pieces added to the mullion system and metal frames. CSG Holding, China’s largest glass manufacturer, was selected to provide all flat glass panes for the building’s facade. Approximately, 476 individual glass panels, processed using Glaston’s technology, were delivered for the project.
