A central component of the façade is triple silver-coated Solarban 70 glass from Vitro Architectural Glass. The glazing delivers a visible light transmittance (VLT) of 64% and a solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of 0.27, providing substantial daylight and outward visibility while limiting unwanted solar heat gain. The specification was selected to balance transparency, solar control and colour-neutral clarity while supporting occupant comfort and reducing cooling loads.

The façade responds differently to each orientation. On the east elevation, large overhangs and a calibrated brise-soleil filter morning sunlight while allowing extensive glazing. Daylight reaches the commons, instructional laboratories, collaboration areas and exterior terrace.

The west façade uses less glazing to reduce afternoon solar exposure. Behind limestone cladding are research laboratory casework and equipment, while selected glazing strips incorporate electrochromic technology that automatically adjusts tint according to solar intensity.

On the north and façade elevations, fully glazed faculty offices bring daylight deeper into the building. Projecting shade portals of varying depths provide additional solar protection without sacrificing outward views.

The enclosure operates as a layered system. Brise-soleil and fins reduce direct solar gain, metal screens act as secondary filters, and frit and coatings moderate glare and solar exposure. Cladding and spandrel panels provide additional thermal control and integrate the façade composition.

SmithGroup used SketchUp and Revit to evaluate glazing locations, shading geometry, solar insolation and daylight levels, refining glazing extents and shading depths through iterative studies.

The façade also makes the building’s engineering visible. Glazed exhaust shafts and elevators expose working systems, while colour-coded ductwork, piping and electrical infrastructure and visible performance meters turn the facility into a teaching tool. The U-shaped building opens onto a shaded courtyard where a calibrated trellis helps draw air upward, creating a more comfortable outdoor environment for instruction and events.

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The building will emerge from the coastal terrain through a single parabolic concrete shell, with its geometry determined by three high points on the site. Rather than relying on numerous internal supports, the curved structure will transfer forces toward three principal support points, creating a large column-free interior. The curvature will also allow relatively long spans while reducing material use and exposed surface area. Its aerodynamic profile is intended to reduce wind turbulence and minimise snow accumulation, important considerations for a building exposed to Arctic coastal conditions.

The roof will cover approximately 4,900 m², exceeding the building’s total floor area. It will incorporate a curved composite structure of corrugated steel decking, cast-in-place concrete and substantial steel beams. Once completed, the roof will be covered with natural, locally sourced stone and designed as an accessible public landscape. Visitors will be able to walk across the roof to viewpoints overlooking the Norwegian Sea and the Vesterålen archipelago.

One of the project’s most technically distinctive components will be its glazed envelope. Staticus will design, manufacture and install approximately 1,537 m² of aluminium-glazed façade, including 590 m² of soffit. The façade will incorporate large curved glazing elements, with individual panels bent to follow the building’s geometry. According to Staticus, the system will be distinguished by the absence of vertical profiles, producing a continuous visual surface and maximising the views from the interior toward the ocean and mountains.

The glazed façade will form the transparent edge of the principal column-free exhibition space, creating a direct visual connection between the interior programme and the Arctic landscape. The centre will contain approximately 1,800 m² of exhibition space, alongside supporting functions, with the experience developed by Ralph Appelbaum Associates and Tamschick Media+Space. The exhibition programme will address whale evolution, biology, behaviour, communication, habitats and the broader relationship between humans and marine environments.

The site itself is central to the project. Andenes lies close to the Bleiksdjupa deep-sea canyon, where the continental shelf drops rapidly offshore and creates conditions that bring whales close to the coast. The building is therefore being positioned directly within one of Norway’s most important whale-watching environments.

Construction began in June 2025, following an idea that originated in 2014 and an architectural competition won by Dorte Mandrup in 2019. HENT is the main contractor, with the project being developed toward its planned 3 June 2027 grand opening and 4 June public opening.

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The Lodelinsart facility specialises in silver-based coated glass, including low-emissivity and solar-control products. These coatings consist of extremely thin layers of metal and metal oxides deposited onto glass to improve thermal insulation and control solar radiation, supporting higher energy efficiency in buildings.

The technology upgrade will expand AGC’s range with new high-performance coatings while increasing production flexibility for complex and innovative coated-glass configurations. The investment is intended to reinforce the competitiveness of the Lodelinsart coater and respond to growing demand for high-performance architectural glass.

“By investing in the upgrade of our coater technology in Lodelinsart we give our local production of high-performance coated glass products a new future,” said Davide Cappellino, President Architectural Glass Europe & Americas.

Beyond coated glass, the Lodelinsart site also produces vacuum glazing for the architectural market. AGC coated glass is used in projects including Edenya at Pairi Daiza in Belgium, the Grand Egyptian Museum, and the Royale Belge building in Brussels.

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The Gulf region accounts for around 8% of global primary aluminium production, but its importance to international supply chains is considerably higher. GCC producers supplied approximately 19% of EU primary aluminium imports, 28% of Japanese imports and 21% of US imports, leaving major industrial markets exposed to the disruption.

The Strait of Hormuz closure has created a significant logistical bottleneck. Although metal continues to be produced, export movements have been restricted, leaving inventories stranded at regional smelters. Emirates Global Aluminium (EGA) has confirmed export delays and indicated that inventories outside the region may be used to meet contractual commitments.

The supply shock is already reflected in aluminium markets. LME aluminium prices have reached a four-year high, while US Midwest premiums and European duty-unpaid premiums have increased further.

China, responsible for approximately 60% of global aluminium production, has recorded only marginal output increases, providing limited immediate capacity to offset the Gulf shortfall. With no other producing region able to rapidly replace volumes of this scale, the disruption is placing additional pressure on global aluminium availability across automotive, aerospace, construction, packaging and electrical infrastructure.

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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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For today’s processors, downtime can quickly translate into lost capacity and disrupted production schedules. LiSEC’s LiSERV remote service contract addresses this through prioritised service requests, direct remote access and faster fault analysis. By resolving certain issues without an on-site intervention, the system can reduce response times and limit production interruptions.

Preventive maintenance is another major focus. Rather than waiting for component failure, structured inspections are designed to identify wear and potential problems at an earlier stage. This approach supports more predictable maintenance planning while reducing the risk of unexpected downtime.

LiSEC also considers operator competence an important part of equipment performance. Its training programmes, offered both at customer facilities and at the LiSEC Training Centre in Austria, focus on helping operators recognise deviations, perform basic adjustments and respond faster to operational issues. Better-trained teams can contribute directly to more stable processes and fewer unnecessary service interventions.

The company will also introduce its Performance Check, aimed at extracting greater productivity from existing equipment. Instead of requiring immediate investment in new machinery, LiSEC assesses processes and machine parameters to identify opportunities for process optimisation and improved equipment utilisation.

Alongside digital services such as backup and parameter management, LONGLiFE addresses the longer-term technical and economic service life of equipment.

The message is clear: service is becoming an integral part of production performance. Higher availability, shorter recovery times, better machine utilisation and extended equipment life can all contribute to more predictable and cost-efficient glass production.

LiSEC will present its service and consulting portfolio at glasstec 2026, Hall 17, Booths A63 and A64.

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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 center brings together six of Mora’s monumental Carrara marble sculptures – The Lions, Liberty, Progress, Work, Peace and Justice. Originally commissioned for Argentina’s National Congress Palace in Buenos Aires in 1906, the sculptures were later moved to Jujuy and spent more than a century exposed to outdoor conditions. The new building provides a permanent environment for their conservation, interpretation and public display.

Glass plays a particularly important architectural role in the project. The building’s narrow entrance progressively expands into a lobby and exhibition hall surrounded by floor-to-ceiling glazing, creating a direct visual connection between the interior galleries and the surrounding forest.

A wide convex glass façade frames views across the Yunga vegetation toward San Salvador de Jujuy and the distant mountain range. Strategically positioned skylights provide additional daylight close to the sculptures, while the open gallery arrangement allows visitors to experience the works from different distances and viewing angles.

The cantilevered roof creates long-span, column-free exhibition spaces, giving the sculptures an unobstructed setting while providing protection from the region’s climate. Rather than separating the museum from its surroundings, the design uses transparency and carefully controlled views to make the landscape part of the visitor experience.

From a façade-performance perspective, the extensive glazing also places greater importance on the building envelope. Pelli Clarke & Partners states that the high-performance envelope and state-of-the-art mechanical systems reduce energy consumption by 23%. The project documentation does not specify the glass make-up, coating, U-value or framing system, so these technical characteristics cannot be assumed.

The center was designed as a net-zero energy building and achieved a LEED Gold certification objective. Its renewable-energy strategy combines an extensive photovoltaic system, solar collectors and wind turbines. On-site generation is designed to produce 120% of the building’s annual energy consumption.

Water management forms another part of the environmental strategy. Rainwater is collected for landscape irrigation, while small dams capture and slow runoff through the site’s ravine, helping mitigate erosion.

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The façade is the defining construction element. Approximately 5,000 m² of metal façade supports 11,000 hammered stainless-steel bricks, each individually positioned. Behind them are around 300 metal panels, forming a complex envelope whose geometry changes across the height of the tower. The façade was developed by Eiffage Métal, working within a consortium, while Citynox FACADE was responsible for the stainless-steel façade fabrication. According to ConstruirAcier, approximately 50,000 hours of engineering studies were required to coordinate the structure and façade.

The structural and engineering work involved Setec, T/E/S/S atelier d’ingénierie, Terrell Group and Studios Architecture, with T/E/S/S contributing to the façade engineering. VINCI Construction France led the main contracting consortium, alongside Eiffage Métal, Crudeli and Vinci Energies. The project management support was provided by MYAMO, while Bureau Bas Smets developed the landscape surrounding the building.

The geometry required a different approach to conventional construction documentation. Eiffage states that the studies were developed entirely in 3D, creating a direct connection between the architectural plans, structural calculations and fabrication drawings. The structural system uses a concrete core with steel framing and highly irregular floor plates; according to ConstruirAcier, practically every level has a different configuration.

Glass plays an equally important role. The tower contains 53 projecting glass boxes, each differently oriented to frame views across Arles. At ground level, the circular Drum forms a glazed rotunda approximately 54 metres in diameter and 16–18 metres high, incorporating around 670 tonnes of glazing. The space provides the main transparent threshold between the tower and the landscaped park and was designed as a naturally ventilated reception area.

Inside the 15,000 m² building are exhibition galleries, offices, archives, event spaces and a 1,000 m² column-free Main Gallery. The tower also contains a 150-seat auditorium and panoramic terraces.

In 2023, Eiffage Métal received the European Convention for Constructional Steelwork’s Special Award – Manufacturing, recognising the engineering and fabrication of the stainless-steel envelope.

LUMA Arles is therefore not simply a Gehry landmark. It is a project defined by the coordination of 11,000 stainless-steel units, 53 glass boxes, 5,000 m² of metal façade, 670 tonnes of glazing and approximately 50,000 engineering hours, with the final appearance depending on the precise relationship between design, structure, fabrication and installation.

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According to Glass International, the facility will have an annual coating capacity of 4.5 million m² and is scheduled to become operational by the end of 2026. Şişecam confirmed the commissioning of the Indian coating line in its third-quarter financial results.

The investment introduces advanced sputter-coating technology capable of producing precision coatings and supporting complex multilayer coating stacks. This technology is particularly important for high-performance architectural glazing, where coatings can be engineered to improve solar control, thermal insulation, energy efficiency and optical characteristics.

Şişecam says the new facility will allow it to develop products specifically for Indian market requirements, including energy-efficient and green-rated glass, enhanced durability, broader colour options and an expanded product portfolio for residential and commercial architecture. The coatings are intended to provide performance under India’s diverse climatic conditions while also offering greater processing flexibility.

The investment comes as India’s flat glass market continues to expand. Mordor Intelligence estimates that the country’s flat glass market will increase from 2.58 million tonnes in 2025 to 2.75 million tonnes in 2026, reaching approximately 3.78 million tonnes by 2031, equivalent to a projected 6.55% CAGR. Building and construction accounted for 80.70% of market demand in 2025, underlining the importance of architectural glazing in future growth.

The Indian project also represents the fourth new coater investment made by Şişecam in recent years, following facilities in Bulgaria, Italy and Türkiye. The company is supporting the development of the product range through its global R&D network of 25 research laboratories.

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