The challenge begins with the building’s geometry. Unlike a conventional tower, Capital Gate’s floor plates shift progressively westward above the 12th floor, with offsets ranging from 300 to 1,400 mm. Its central concrete core was constructed with a deliberate pre-camber in the opposite direction to the lean, gradually straightening as the building’s weight was added. This approach works alongside an external steel diagrid that supports the floors and helps resist gravity, wind and seismic loads. The foundations comprise 490 piles extending approximately 30 metres underground.

The glass façade follows this complex geometry rather than relying on a repeated curtain-wall module. More than 12,500 individually shaped glass panels were installed over ten months. Each panel required a specific shape and angle to fit the tower’s curved, inclined surface. Together, the panes form approximately 700 larger glass diamonds, giving the façade its distinctive pattern.

Another prominent feature is The Splash, a sculptural stainless-steel canopy that rises along the tower’s exterior before extending over the adjacent grandstand. Beyond its visual role, the structure shades the most exposed façade and creates a covered entrance area. Inside, a free-form atrium with a glazed roof brings daylight into the building. A cantilevered lounge and swimming pool, positioned around 80 metres above ground, add further complexity to the design.

Capital Gate’s defining achievement lies in the relationship between its structure and envelope. The diagrid establishes the tower’s unusual form, while the individually engineered glazing follows its changing angles without compromising the overall façade pattern.

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A defining element of the project is its building-integrated photovoltaic (BIPV) façade. ML System has completed the delivery of its photovoltaic glazing, covering a reported 18,950 m². The company estimates that the façade will generate approximately 908 MWh of electricity annually, integrating energy generation directly into the building envelope.

The façade system combines photovoltaic modules with laminated safety glass, parapet glazing and open areas designed to respond to wind loads. Werner Sobek is responsible for façade engineering, with the photovoltaic elements concentrated on the tower’s east, west and south elevations.

Construction is scheduled for completion by the end of 2026. The project is being delivered for S+B Plan & Bau, with Commerz Real as the future owner, while PORR is responsible for the construction works.

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Organized by the Facade Tectonics Institute, the congress will focus on the technical, environmental and architectural challenges shaping high-performance building envelopes. The program includes sessions covering façade systems, materials, unitized curtain walls, fabrication, modelling and analysis, climate adaptation, codes and testing, circularity, resilience, shading and daylighting, and complex façade engineering.

More than 130 abstracts were submitted internationally for the 2026 edition, with selected contributions developed into peer-reviewed technical papers. The program also features industry and research leaders from organizations including Gensler, Arup, Buro Happold, SOM, BIG, Dow, Kuraray, Guardian Glass, Technoform, Enclos, Bellapart, Carnegie Mellon University and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

Glass and glazing technologies are a significant part of the technical agenda. One featured case study examines the Signia Hotel tower in Indianapolis, addressing low-iron glass, opaque white glazing, bent-glass corners, structural-glazed unitized curtain walls and performance testing.

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The event is being organised concurrently with the 2nd Edition of GFloor Expo, bringing together two closely connected segments of the building and interiors industry at the same venue. The combined format is expected to create opportunities for exhibitors and visitors to engage across architectural, construction, façade and interior applications.

GCLAD Expo will focus on cladding materials, façade systems, technologies, products and related solutions, providing participating brands with an opportunity to present their capabilities directly to industry professionals. The exhibition is aimed at an audience that includes architects, builders, contractors, developers, façade consultants, designers and engineers involved in building and project development.

As its first edition, GCLAD Expo 2026 also offers exhibitors the opportunity to establish their brands within a new industry-focused platform while developing relationships with potential customers, partners and project stakeholders.

The concurrent GFloor Expo further expands the event’s industry reach, creating opportunities for cross-sector networking, product discovery and business discussions.

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A built example is LC LIVIN in Lahnstein, Germany, where the residential building faces a railway line. Designed by MPLUS Architekten, the project uses a Kalzip FC façade system incorporating FC 30/300 and FC 30/350 profiles with partial perforation. The aluminium profiles feature an AluPlusPatina finish in Bronze B40 and Champagne G12, with installation carried out by Werhand GmbH & Co. The façade incorporates sound-absorbing insulation positioned behind the metal skin and was developed and acoustically tested in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute.

The Perforation Is Doing the Work

The principle is more sophisticated than simply putting holes in an aluminium panel.

When sound reaches a perforated surface, air moves through the openings. Friction and viscous losses around the perforations convert part of the acoustic energy into heat. The cavity behind the panel then becomes a critical component of the absorber. Its depth, perforation geometry and absorptive backing determine which frequency ranges can be attenuated effectively.

This is why a perforated façade cannot be evaluated by the metal sheet alone.

Typical acoustic assemblies can use sub-millimetre to millimetre-scale perforations, controlled open areas and cavity depths of several centimetres or more. Increasing the cavity depth generally shifts the absorption response toward lower frequencies, while the perforation ratio influences the acoustic resistance of the panel. For architects, this creates an unusual opportunity: the acoustic treatment can remain on the exterior while becoming part of the façade language.

The most effective systems can integrate the acoustic layer into a ventilated rainscreen construction. Behind the perforated aluminium, mineral wool or another porous absorber occupies the cavity. The external panel provides weather protection while the backing material dissipates acoustic energy.

This approach is particularly relevant where conventional acoustic insulation alone cannot solve the problem. Railway noise, for example, contains significant low-frequency components, making façade composition, glazing selection and junction detailing critical.

The weakest component can ultimately determine the performance of the entire envelope. A high-performing opaque wall paired with poorly specified glazing, inadequate seals or acoustic vents can undermine the intended result.

That makes acoustic façade engineering a system-design problem rather than a material-selection exercise.

Did you know a façade could be engineered to absorb sound? What may look like a simple perforated aluminium skin can, when combined with the right cavity, insulation and detailing, become part of a building’s acoustic defence. Projects such as LC LIVIN show that acoustic performance is no longer confined to what sits behind the façade, the façade itself can be engineered to work with sound.

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The three-day exhibition will focus on glass, doors and windows, aluminium, façades, fenestration and allied technologies, providing a platform for companies to present new products, technologies and project solutions directly to industry professionals. With national and international exhibitors expected to participate, the event is positioned as a business-focused meeting point for sourcing, networking and market development.

Visitors will be able to explore solutions across architectural glass, glass processing, aluminium systems, façade technologies, windows and doors, architectural hardware, roofing, cladding, automation, machinery and smart building technologies. Live demonstrations and product showcases will allow professionals to assess technologies based on performance, efficiency, safety, design flexibility and application potential.

Beyond product discovery, INFRAME Expo is designed to facilitate direct business connections. Manufacturers and suppliers will have the opportunity to engage with architects, developers, processors, fabricators, contractors, distributors and project decision-makers, creating potential for new partnerships, procurement relationships and project collaborations.

The exhibition programme will also include technical presentations, expert-led sessions and knowledge-sharing activities addressing emerging technologies, sustainability, regulatory developments and changing requirements across the built environment.

Chennai provides a strategic location for the event, serving as an important centre for South India’s manufacturing, infrastructure, construction and real estate activity. This regional concentration gives exhibitors access to an extensive professional network while offering visitors exposure to technologies and suppliers from across India and international markets.

As the event approaches, INFRAME Expo 2026 is expected to provide more than a product showcase. Its broader objective is to connect the companies developing building technologies with the professionals responsible for specifying, manufacturing, designing and delivering the next generation of construction projects.

Event Details
Dates: 4–6 September 2026
Venue: Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai, India

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The tower’s fully glazed envelope is defined by protruding and recessed cubic volumes, creating a constantly changing appearance when viewed from different angles. Darker recessed glazing contrasts with the principal façade, while horizontal metallic bands reinforce the building’s layered geometry. At the rear, contrasting façade treatments combine darker, more enclosed areas with expansive glazed surfaces, connected visually by continuous vertical aluminium slats.

The façade technology is central to the project’s architectural expression. Reynaers Aluminium supplied highly insulated modular systems, including ConceptWall 50, CW 50-SC and a bespoke ElementFaçade 7 Male-Female solution. The customised ElementFaçade system was fabricated and installed by Garcia Faura SL, a Reynaers partner in Spain.

Sustainability was equally important. The façade’s thermal performance, combined with low-energy solutions and maintenance-conscious technologies, contributed to the tower achieving LEED Gold certification.

Internally, Torre Puig II accommodates 21 office floors, designed for approximately 500 Puig cosmetics employees, together with three basement levels providing 140 parking spaces. The result is a high-performance workplace whose façade combines technical precision, energy efficiency and a strong architectural identity.

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The building measures approximately 80 metres in diameter and 100 metres in height, with around 24,000 m² of floor space across eight levels. Its defining feature is the façade: approximately 4,600 individually engineered curved glass panels covering around 35,000 m².

The objective was to create a smooth glass sphere, rather than a faceted structure assembled from flat panels. This required the development of double-curved glass, with individual units formed in three dimensions to follow the geometry of the building.

Each panel was effectively a bespoke component. The glass was heated in specially developed ovens until it became sufficiently pliable to take the shape of a mould, before being gradually cooled to retain the required geometry. This manufacturing process was essential to achieving the continuous appearance of the façade.

The scale of the units added another level of complexity. Project information indicates approximately 4,600 curved panes, with maximum panel dimensions of roughly 3 × 6 metres. The glazing was produced as double-curved insulating glass units, incorporating a triple-silver coating and two-colour ceramic screen printing. A reported U-value of approximately 1.1 W/m²K demonstrates that thermal performance was considered alongside the architectural requirements.

For a building with approximately 35,000 m² of glazing, solar performance could not be treated as a secondary consideration.

The façade uses ultra-clear low-iron glass with low-E coating and ceramic frit. The frit pattern varies across the façade to assist with solar control while maintaining daylight and views. Guardian SunGuard SNX 50/23 HT was specified for the glazing, providing solar-control performance suited to the building’s extensive transparent envelope.

The façade was therefore designed to perform a difficult balancing act: admit useful daylight, control glare, limit unwanted solar heat gain and maintain thermal efficiency.

Nur Alem’s façade was also developed as an active component of the building’s energy concept.

The design team used BIM and Rhino/Grasshopper to test different iterations of the building geometry, examining structural behaviour, daylight, energy consumption and solar exposure. This computational approach became particularly important for positioning the building-integrated photovoltaic system.

BIPV cells were incorporated near the top of the sphere, where modelling was used to maximize exposure to the sun. The design-stage energy model predicted approximately 81,056 kWh of electricity generation per year, equivalent to around 2.21% of total energy demand.

The upper portion of the sphere also incorporates two wind turbines. The form of the opening was extensively modelled and tested with wind engineers to capture Astana’s predominant southwest winds while responding to the city’s harsh winter climate. The turbines were predicted to generate approximately 52,700 kWh annually.

The technical achievement of Nur Alem lies in the relationship between its geometry, glass fabrication and building performance.

Its façade combines double-curved insulating glass, low-E solar-control technology, ceramic frit, integrated shading, BIPV and renewable-energy systems within a single architectural envelope. Even the horizontal curtain-wall mullions contribute to the building’s environmental strategy, incorporating radiant heating tubes, LED lighting and a BMS-controlled shading system.

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Designed by SB Architects (now 10 Design) for The Kolter Group, the tower was conceived around expansive floor-to-ceiling glazing, private terraces and uninterrupted views of Tampa Bay. Achieving this vision required a glazing solution capable of balancing daylight, solar control and occupant comfort in Florida’s demanding climate.

The façade incorporates Solarban® 70 glass from Vitro Architectural Glass, the industry’s first triple-silver low-emissivity (low-e) glass, originally introduced in 2005. The product has since become one of the most widely specified high-performance architectural glasses, with nearly one billion square feet shipped worldwide.

Solarban® 70 delivers a Visible Light Transmittance (VLT) of 64%, allowing abundant natural daylight to penetrate deep into interior spaces while maintaining clear views across Tampa Bay and the city waterfront. At the same time, its Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC) of 0.27 significantly reduces unwanted solar heat, helping minimise cooling loads and enabling the specification of smaller HVAC systems. This contributes to both lower initial mechanical equipment costs and improved long-term energy efficiency.

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Ventana was responsible for the design, fabrication and installation of the building’s exterior glazing systems, including the aluminium curtain wall and window wall systems, under a subcontract valued at approximately $14 million. However, the court found that the contractor’s work was repeatedly disrupted by poor coordination of subcontractors, defective concrete construction and improper rebar placement, which prevented the glazing systems from being installed as planned.

According to the ruling, Tutor Perini failed to supervise concrete pours adequately, resulting in reinforcing steel being positioned incorrectly. Ventana was also forced to deal with debris left by other trades, restricting access and delaying the transportation and installation of façade components throughout the project.

The court further determined that Tutor Perini acted in bad faith by concealing its knowledge of concrete defects, blaming Ventana for delays, withholding payments without justification and refusing to approve legitimate change orders. The judge also dismissed the testimony of Tutor Perini’s damages expert, describing the evidence as lacking credibility.

Significantly, the court ruled that Tutor Perini could not enforce the subcontract’s “no damages for delay” clause because its own active interference caused the disruptions. The decision follows another major judgment issued earlier this year, when developer Chestlen Development secured more than $174 million in damages against Tutor Perini over the same W Hotel project, which opened in Philadelphia in 2021.

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