Bendheim Channel Glass at New York’s Pier 17 Wins Product Innovation Award

Major Award Celebrates Customized Glass & Its Contributions to the Building Aesthetic

Our custom-profile Lamberts^® channel glass, as seen at New York City’s South Street Seaport – Pier 17, has received a Product Innovation Award (PIA) from Architectural Products magazine. The award celebrates channel glass’ ability to create nearly seamless and shadow-free 40-foot-tall exterior light boxes, turning the new landmark into a beacon on the East River.

To commemorate the award, we have published a 1.5-minute video case study on the Pier 17 facade, highlighting key aspects of the custom glass design, https://bendheim.com/video/pier-17-channel-glass/.

South Street Seaport, New York, NY by SHoP Architects. Photo by C. Taylor Crothers Photography, Inc.

Central to the building’s aesthetic, the continuous, two-story-tall channel glass lenses maintain clean design lines. They brace against the East River winds without the need for shadow-casting wind clips. Two rows of lenses stack on top of each other, forming a 40-foot-tall, back-lit channel glass rainscreen. The near-colorless low-iron glass features a diffusing surface texture, emitting a spectrum of even, true-color light generated by programmable LEDs. The result – a spectacular public plaza during the day and night, with stunning views to the Brooklyn Bridge.

Channel glass’ texture creates a shimmering, ice-like appearance when illuminated by daylight or artificial light. Its aesthetic is a symbolic harbinger of the new rooftop Winterland ice rink, slated to open on November 22, 2019.

South Street Seaport, New York, NY by SHoP Architects. Channel glass rainscreen facade. Photo by Jen

The luminous channel glass facade was designed by SHoP Architects and installed by Enclos. Engineering and producing the custom-shaped channel glass (with extended flanges) took several months. Two full-scale mockups were created and successfully passed visual and performance tests.

“Bendheim supplied quick turn-around on samples, reliable estimating throughout the design phase, and a non-standard deeper channel,” said Alex Terzich, who worked on the project at SHoP. “Bendheim was the kind of unflinching partner I’m always looking for on challenging projects.”