Glass has become an essential material for creating modern spaces. Reflecting a need for uncluttered and open environments, interior designers and architects are looking more and more to the world of glass for dazzling and creative solutions. Recent trends in interior design and architecture, coupled with ever evolving technologies, has seen the use of glass as a structural and decorative material, increase dramatically in recent years. Its varied applications have branched out even further, resulting in a broader scope of structural possibilities. Projects which were never before possible, are now being realized and recognised for there sleek and minimalist appeal. Towering curtain walls, floating glass stair cases and breathtaking constructions are turning heads and creating a stir with innovative design. The liberal use of glass in interior design and architecture is nothing new. It is the shift towards the functional and decorative use of glass that seems to be on the increase. Designer glass has in recent years begun to transform the skylines and homes of many South African cities and has entrenched itself at the forefront of current architectural trends.
Coloured glass tiles and splash backs are adding sparkle and vibrant colour to the previously muted tones of bathrooms and kitchens. Available in virtually any colour imaginable, these silky smooth surfaces add bold focal points of glossy colour and texture.
Textured glass walls and partitions create visual boundaries that allow natural light to flow. Frameless glass doors, balustrades and showers enhance the illusion of space while remaining practical and functional.
In the quest for eco friendly design energy saving glass is fast becoming a valuable material. This high performance glass greatly reduces energy consumption by blocking UV radiation, while still allowing the maximum amount of light to travel through it.
Other trends in glass include glass furniture, hand-blown glass and lighting.
Glass furniture has become a signature addition to the modern interior, creating sophisticated and weightless surfaces. Hand blown decorative glass bowls and vases add seductive accents to clean edged modern interiors and furniture. With swirling colours and curvaceous forms, this ancient art form has enjoyed an impressive revival.
Innovations in LED lighting are being incorporated into many glass disciplines, illuminating this transparent medium with a spectrum of changing colours and subtle hues.
Kiln formed or kiln textured glass is a relatively unknown entity in South Africa, but it is a versatile and unique addition to a rapidly growing market. This medium offers designers and architects the option of a wide range of textures and designs which are able to transform environments through deeply textured surfaces. With the all important option to customise, kiln textured glass can be used for almost any typical glass application in a variety of environments. It can be safely toughened to comply with building regulations, and can be processed and drilled in the same way as conventional glass. Some what prohibitive in terms of cost due to high production expenses and a focus on unique “one-offs” rather than mass production, it remains in the higher end of specialist glass applications.
Creating intriguing surface details, kiln formed glass refracts light and changes with ambient lighting conditions. Architects and designers are able to customise a texture, pattern or design to suit the intended environment. It is essentially two-dimensional relief sculpture on the one side of a glass panel. This allows designers and architects the freedom to personalise and transform conventional glass installations into unique elements of the total design.
Kiln formed textured glass is manufactured through controlled heating and cooling of flat glass sheets in a specially designed glass furnace. The glass is heated to such a degree that it softens enough to pick up details and designs in the mould on which it sits. Traditional textured glass is produced by rolling a repeated pattern onto the molten glass as it is formed into sheets. Kiln cast glass, however, is created on top of a completely custom mould, which allows for the production of truly unique designs. Many patterns and textures can be combined on the same surface challenging the conventional notions of patterned glass. Textured glass is no longer a term reserved for describing the windows in “kitsch cool” 70’s style, art deco apartments. In recent years kiln textured glass has been used extensively throughout Europe, the US and Australia, in many high profile projects and has become a valuable tool for creating unique statements in glass.
For more information on how kiln textured glass can be incorporated into your design, please contact Deon Schreiber at Silica Glass Studio.
Tel: +27(0) 21 510 0694
