Glass as Art

This so-called ‘art glass’ is what owners and architects are using to bring the wow factor to interior spaces.  BJ Katz, Art Director at Meltdown Glass says, ‘Art glass is being integrated into the interior architecture of buildings in the form of curtain walling, moveable walls, doors, partitions, railing systems, balustrades, reception desk backdrops, restaurant booth dividers, and privacy screens’.Aside from these uses, glass is being widely used in flooring, stair treads, water features, elevators, and what BJ Katz says is the hottest new trend, in kitchen countertops and table tops.







This growth in the art glass market doesn’t only mean that places look beautiful; there are benefits in the form of profitability and possibility for the glass market. The increased value and time added to processing these art glass pieces means that glass fabricators can command higher price margins without the worry of being undercut by less experienced companies. ‘The increased complexity of glass projects will benefit the medium and the fabricators’, says Mike Pfafenberger, Decorative Glass Manager at M3 Glass Technologies. ‘The market for this type of product is upscale, so the complexities will keep fly-by-night companies from trying to undercut the professionals’.

Art glass is being used increasingly in public works and healthcare projects, providing the opportunity for the production of large scale art pieces that have both aesthetic appeal and functionality. Collaboration is a big part of this growing art glass market that is creating links between fabricators, architects, building owners and companies like GGR Group whose expertise are needed to install these magnificent pieces of glass art with the care and precision that is vital.

According to Marisa Ferreira, owner of Artistry in Glass, installation support is key, ‘Art glass is a lot of extra work – from handling, install and trying to make the final price not prohibitive’. Ferreira adds, ‘The more intricate the design, the more costly it is, including the additional care and proper install required’. GGR Group is always looking for new ways to innovate with our products. The art glass market has provided the perfect opportunity to do just that.

GGR’s glass lifting equipment includes vacuum lifters that have up to a 2600kg safe lifting capacity, specialist lifters for curved or textured glass and non-marking pads. Along with our cranes and glazing robots GGR are fully equipped for this changing market and are committed to innovation that ensures we remain the glass lifting experts in the sector.