Skyline Construction and the Iron Workers (IW) Local 63 Training Center in Chicago have been awarded the Ironworker Management Progressive Action Cooperative Trust (IMPACT) Project of the Year in the architectural ornamental category above 5,000 work hours. The honor recognizes the execution of the Local 63 facility in Broadview, Illinois, now widely known as the House of Glass for its distinctive façade and specialized glazing features.

Designed by Gensler, the 32,000-square-foot center serves both as a statement of architectural ambition and a fully operational training hub for ornamental and architectural ironworkers. Its defining exterior comprises two arc-shaped, 50-foot-tall glass curtainwalls on the east and west sides, engineered to create a luminous, jewel-box visual effect while maintaining structural integrity against regional wind loads. The high-performance units required precision bending, custom anchoring and continuous façade alignment, supported by digital modeling to ensure tolerance accuracy.

The interior functions as a full-scale fabrication and installation environment. A five-ton suspended bridge crane spans the main training floor, allowing trainees to maneuver oversized glass units and ornamental assemblies safely and repeatedly. A 20-foot-tall water chamber enables weather-testing for curtainwall sections under pressurized conditions, replicating performance standards used in commercial projects.

“This facility demanded coordinated execution at every level,” said Wes Klockowski, senior project executive at Skyline Construction. “The curved glass elevations and specialty testing spaces were built not simply to impress visually but to advance the technical abilities of the industry.”

The scope of work included curtainwall delivery by IG Commercial; structural components and stairs by Nick’s Metal, Williams Steel and Skyline Ornamental; handrails by Skyline Ornamental; solar elements by R&S Architectural; and door systems by Assa Abloy.

IMPACT also recognized Under Armour Inc., Whiting-Turner Construction and IW Local 5 in the same category under 5,000 work hours for the new Under Armour global headquarters, where Pioneer Cladding & Glazing served as contract glazier.

The House of Glass ultimately stands as both a functional training arena and a milestone in contemporary façade design for union craft.