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Applications of glass

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Design with glass

From anti-reflection to color tints, modern glass enhances design in many ways.

Build with glass

Whatever the construction challenge, we have the glass to help meet it.

Glass for your home

See how the correct choice of glass can help transform a home – and even our wellbeing.

Highlights
122 Leadenhall - The Cheesegrater

The 75,000 square metres façade features a curtain wall that is double glazed to allow for a high solar protection on neutral-looking glass.

Fruit and Wool Exchange

The new-build façades are predominately brick-faced, with punched windows to reflect the surrounding context.

Caudwell International

Curved glass, punch windows and precast stone panels make up the envelope on a figure-of-eight footprint.

Discover our showcase projects, captured through the lens of professional photography.

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Our story

Just as we were in 1932, we're ready to meet the challenges of now and the future

Environmental Stewardship

Find out more about how glass can support sustainable design

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Applications of glass

Taking glass to new heights

Choosing the right glass for a building can improve its appearance and performance while helping to reduce energy costs for years to come. Whether you need glass for façades, balustrades, doors, windows, partitions, mirrors or any other building application, Guardian Glass can help you find the right glass for anything you can imagine.

  • Curtain wall

    A curtain wall is a non-structural outer covering of a building. Since it is non-structural, it can be made of lightweight materials, helping thereby to reduce construction costs.

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  • Curved facades

    Curved glass, also referred to as bent glass, is glass that has been heated past its softening point and formed into a curved shape, either by annealed gravity bending, or by heat-treated (tempered or heat-strengthened) bending. In case of gravity bending, the softened glass is placed over or into a mould and cooled down slowly after the required shape is achieved.

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  • Louvers

    Around the world, there is a growing trend in the use of glass louvers and screens for commercial buildings and retail storefronts driven by the increased desire for solar shading and to better control daylighting and energy efficiency throughout the building.

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  • Spandrels

    Spandrel glass is the opaque glass that conceals structural building components such as columns, floors, HVAC systems, vents, electrical wiring and plumbing, preventing these from being visible from the exterior of the building. Curtain wall and structurally glazed designs often require the use of spandrel glass to achieve an architect’s vision of the finished project.

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  • Roofs and skylights

    Roof glazing can safely be used throughout a building roof, reducing the need for artificial lighting, providing a natural source of daylight while still addressing solar and thermal insulation needs. By introducing natural daylight through the core of a building, glass roofs create bright, inviting interiors.

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  • Balustrades

    Glass can be safely used for balustrades, railings and barriers in a building, bringing natural light into open spaces. Glass balustrades allow light to pass through, reducing the need for artificial lighting and providing a natural source of daylight. Glass balustrades and barriers add a stylish, open plan feel to an office or public building.

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  • Bird friendly glass

    Each year, millions of birds accidentally fly into glass windows, doors and facades, with many of these collisions being fatal. As glass continues to make up more and more of the external building envelope, it is likely that the number of birds affected by this problem will increase over the coming years.

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  • Building-integrated photovoltaics

    Sustainable, Energy Efficient Buildings with BIPV Solutions. The use of solar power to achieve higher energy ratings and reach Nearly Zero Energy Building (NZEB) levels for commercial buildings is a topic of increasing interest to architects, owners and developers of new builds and external envelope refurbishments. SEE MORE

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  • Dynamic glazing

    Visual comfort, thermal comfort and energy savings. In buildings, it is always important to ensure the comfort and wellbeing of occupants. Natural light and uninterrupted views of occupants.

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  • Picture frames

    When it comes to displaying photographs of your loved ones, or works of art in an exhibition, the glass plays as an important role as the frame. Anti-reflective picture framing coated glass help reduce glare and reflection, maintaining the integrity of the picture, photograph or painting.

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  • Partitions

    Glass can be used for interior applications as partitions or divides throughout a building, bringing natural light into open spaces. Glass partitions reduce the need for artificial lighting, while providing privacy, sound attenuation, decoration and impact resistance. Glass partitions create an “open plan” working space filled with light but also allowing for quiet or semi-private areas.

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  • Flooring

    Glass can safely be used as flooring throughout your home, reducing the need for artificial lighting and providing a natural source of daylight. By introducing natural daylight through the core of a building, glass flooring and stairs open up new vistas that might otherwise be blocked.

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  • Windows

    Selecting the right glass for windows in your home is important. It’s not just about how your windows look – it’s also about how they perform in terms of solar control, security, sound reduction, thermal insulation and privacy.

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  • Doors

    External doors are one of home’s fundamental requirements, they are the first impression of home, and for an inviting experience, many homeowners choose glass. Exterior and interior doors made of glass add light to homes, but they can also be a source of energy waste.

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  • Conservatories and orangeries

    Conservatories and orangeries should be a place to enjoy throughout the year, not just during the warmer months. Conservatories and orangeries are an extension of a home, adding value and increasing the available space, while offering an alternative place to rest and relax, dine with friends or just enjoy the views of the garden.

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  • Commercial refrigeration

    Would you ever offer your customers anything but first-rate quality products? At Guardian Glass, we certainly wouldn’t. Let us help you offer your customers the high-quality products they deserve, thanks to our range of products for commercial refrigeration cabinets. Guardian Glass offers commercial refrigeration glass that allows your customer to clearly see their display goods while helping to reduce energy consumption.

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  • Digital signage

    Spectacular digital signage installations in public environment get the right attention – but only if their visibility is not disturbed by unwanted glare. Our range of products helps to offer the right focus to digital signages, for both emotional and functional content, and helps create real user experiences.

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  • Museum showcase and displays

    In museums, glass displays are used to protect precious artefacts from damage or distress, while presenting them in the best possible light. But sometimes the glass itself can act as an obstruction to the view. Unwanted glare and reflection prevent visitors from having a crystal-clear view and seeing the object in its original color. 

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  • Smart mirrors

    For the home or for commercial applications, smart mirror technology enables any mirror to become so much more. At home, it can be featured in any room: a mirror turning into a TV, displaying your apps, or even hiding a projection screen.

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  • Storefronts

    In the daylight storefront glass can turn into a mirror; customers can struggle to see the product within storefront displays and visibility deeper inside the store is often impaired. Reflections can fade out colors and the product loses it's impact, whilst the mirror effect creates a barrier between the street and walking into the shop.

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  • Appliances

    Hot appliances have a double need for thermal insulation: to keep what’s inside warm without any heat loss, using less energy to achieve required inside temperatures, and to protect the user from any burns from outside. Glass plays a crucial role in home appliances, especially those for cooking and baking. The right glass offers oven doors and control panels distinctive design, temperature control, safety and, of course, the clarity to see if your food is ready.

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