Introducing Optichroic™ Architectural Dichroic Glass

Bendheim’s Optichroic™ dichroic glass is the first glass of its type suitable for architectural applications. Developed in the late fifties by NASA to protect against the potentially harmful effects of direct sunlight and cosmic radiation, dichroic glass, with its striking visual qualities, has been used in a variety of scientific and industrial applications. Its name is a derivation of the Greek word dikhroos, or two colors, which describes how light reflecting off the glass surface changes in color as the angle of vision changes.

Optichroic™ glass is created through specialized interlayer technologies.  As the viewer’s angle to the glass changes, so does its color, giving Optichroic™ its refined iridescent characteristics.

“Historically, dichroic glass has not been available in large sheet sizes, limiting the architectural community  to small-scale applications.,” said Steven Jayson, Bendheim’s Executive Vice President and one of three of the founder’s grandsons now managing the company. “Architects can now choose an authentic safety laminated dichroic glass from a wide variety of patterns. Our Optichroic™ glass offers an attractive aesthetic with the added durability of a scratch-resistant, easy to maintain glass. It has been rigorously tested by independent labs to ensure the Optichroic™ dichroic effect is long-lasting and stable.”

Optichroic™ glass is available in a virtually unlimited number of variations, including clear, fully and lightly etched, etched patterns, as well as organic and geometric textures. It can be produced in sheets as large as 52 by 120 inches.