The use of toughened glass in various settings is often an essential feature of construction, with prime examples being glass floors that must not give way under any circumstances.
This is literally a matter of life and death when it comes to glass floors on tall buildings that offer a death-defying vertical view for those who can bear to stand on them. Now, Transport for London has taken things a step further by launching a new version of the cable cars that cross the Thames between the Royal Docks and Greenwich Peninsula with glass floors.
Of course, anyone riding in a cable car needs a good head for heights to start with, so it may be that thrill-seekers love the whole experience.
A Bridge Like No Other
However, for those who prefer to cross waterways in London (or anywhere else, for that matter) without being terrified, an upcoming experience may prove rather more pleasant, with frosted toughened glass rather than the transparent kind.
Translucent glass may be rather more suited to a tiara than the average bridge, but that is the leap being undertaken by architects Foster + Partners, having won the bid to design a national memorial to the late Queen Elizabeth II in St James’s Park.
This will include a revamp of a large area of the park, with Sir Norman Foster pledging that it will restore some elements of the original design of the park by John Nash that have been lost over time.
A key feature of the park is the elongated lake that runs for most of its length and effectively divides it into two. At present, the two halves are linked by the Blue Bridge, a simple concrete structure with metal railings painted blue (hence the name), which dates from 1957.
While an unremarkable structure in itself, the bridge is in a spectacular spot for photographs with the backdrop of Buckingham Palace and other central London landmarks. The new design, therefore, will combine this with an upgrade in design to make the bridge itself stand out for something rather more interesting than merely being painted a certain colour.
Translucent Glass To Recreate Tiara Effect
The design of the new bridge will be based on one of the late monarch’s tiaras, giving the bridge a stand-out appearance.
Sir Norman Foster said of the new crossing: “At the heart of our masterplan is a translucent bridge symbolic of Her Majesty as a unifying force, bringing together nations, countries, the Commonwealth, charities and the armed forces.”
Visitors may greatly appreciate the novel use of glass, which Sir Norman said “has stretched the boundaries of art and technology”.
The contrast between this artistic use of frosted glass while forming a barrier that still keeps people safe (after all, it is still a crossing over water) and the clear glass used in the pulse-quickening experience of riding the new cable cars highlights the importance of having the most suitable glass for each project.
In either case, they need to be very sturdy for safety’s sake, but a translucent glass is no use when it gets in the way of a full view, which it would have done if put in a cable car, but will not on the new bridge.