Functional and Aesthetic Façade Glass is Becoming a Trend in the Czech and Slovak Republics

In recent years, several interesting buildings have arisen in those two republics that stand out for their aesthetic and functional characteristics, including greater interior comfort and lower energy costs.Following are just a few notable examples.



Guardian ExtraClear® float glass has been used in combination with color graphics in the Galerie Šantovka shopping center in Olomouc. The ELI laser research center in Dolni Brezany, near Prague, used Guardian SunGuard® SuperNeutral 70/37, which offers excellent solar control. The same glass can be found in the Crystal office buildings in Prague's Vinohrady. Guardian® solar control glass also was installed in the Aviatic Praha office complex in Prague-Jinonice. Architects increasingly are choosing building materials and glazing that allow them to create unconventional-looking structures while also sensibly integrating them into their surroundings.









Central shopping center in Bratislava. (Photo Guardian Industries Corp., GRDPR026)





“The main advantage of the Guardian® glass used in these projects is the protection it provides against heat from sunlight,” said Guardian sales manager Michal Hronský. “These particular grades of glass are characterized by an ideal ratio between the amount of light and heat that they allow into the building; this is called the ‘selectivity.’ In each case only 28% to 37% of solar heat is transmitted into the building’s interior, while the same glass allows in a very high percentage of natural light, in part because of its high clarity and minimal coloration. By helping to bathe the interior with natural light and reduce heat gain, this glass increases comfort inside the building and helps to lower energy usage, by minimizing the need to use both artificial lighting and air conditioning.”



Examples of major applications of Guardian glass in Slovakia include such projects as the Danubiana Gallery, Central shopping center in Bratislava, and the Panorama City residential building in Bratislava.









Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum in Bratislava.



(Photo Guardian Industries Corp., GRDPR026)





While the glass is chosen for its unique functional properties as well as its sleek appearance in such showcase buildings, it also is finding wide application in the construction of smaller buildings such as Nemocnica Košice – Šaca and Nemocnica sv. Michala hospitals in Bratislava. Technology related to the production of solar control glass has advanced greatly in recent years.



“Current Guardian technology uses an advanced magnetron sputtering technique to apply a sequence of multilayers of different materials onto the surface of mostly clear glass. This allows much greater throughput of light with minimal color distortion. At the same time, it efficiently reflects a very high percentage of the solar energy (depending on each product’s specifications), which allows for better indoor climate control.







Galerie Šantovka shopping center in Olomouc.



(Main Photo Guardian Industries Corp., GRDPR026)





“Anyone inside these buildings will see both functional and aesthetic benefits from these technological advances. This older-style, tinted glass helped to reduce heat gain, but also blocked out some of the desirable natural light and the color distorted the views. This Guardian glass is helping to enable the design of new façades, in addition to helping significantly reduce operating costs. This is changing the character of the buildings and allowing them to be better incorporated into the architectural space, with glass providing a more natural look,” noted Hronský.







About Guardian Industries Corp.:







Guardian is a diversified global manufacturing company headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, with leading positions in float glass and fabricated glass products for commercial, residential and transportation applications; automotive trim; and the distribution of building products. Through its research and development centers (Science & Technology Center for glass and Advanced Development Center for automotive), Guardian is at the forefront of innovation. Its automotive trim group, SRG Global, is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of advanced, high value coatings on plastics. Guardian, its subsidiaries and affiliates employ 17,000 people and operate facilities throughout North America, Europe, South America, Africa, the Middle East and Asia. Visit www.guardian.com.