Masonry Magazine March 2004 Page. 43
Take one look and you'll say you've seen the light. It's in the boardroom. It's in the basement. It's in the largest of factories and the smallest of diners. The "it" is glass block, and - Hallelujah! - it is beautiful! Stronger than sheet glass, more alive than dry wall, glass block is the perfect material for bringing natural light into windowless rooms.
Originally developed in the early 1900s, glass block was first used in manufacturing plants for brightening up the interior with natural light while providing durability and insulation. Toward mid-century, block usage expanded into neighborhood bars and the basement windows of both residential and commercial buildings.
Then in the last quarter of the century, an army of architects discovered glass block's versatility. They found they could turn radiuses with it, light stairwells and turn curves. Today, special shapes allow the softening touches of bullnose and the drama of staircasing. Colored mortars provide other layers of texture to designs. With all of the modern refinements to glass block, the creative possibilities are nearly endless, all to the delight of the client.
But glass block's resurgence is built on more than just the material's good looks. Energy efficient, block can be fire-rated up to 90 minutes. And unlike Glass block is used on everything from elite boardrooms to common cafeterias, wherever a sense of openness and light would be welcome.
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SINCE 1939
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CIRCLE 195 ON READER SERVICE CARD
March 2004
Masonry 29
Loretta Hall of Webster University was completed by JDS Masonry.
The Voice of the Mason Contractor