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Etched Dichroic Glass Brightens Utah Project

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2,300 Feet of Our Optichroic® Architectural Glass Installed at New Tech HQ

Our Optichroic® architectural glass was installed at a technology education company’s new headquarters. Architects from Rapt Studio in San Francisco selected our customized etched dichroic glass to add kinetic color to nine elevator lobbies at Pluralsight in Draper, Utah.

Developed by NASA in the late 1950s, dichroic glass is innately interactive in nature. As the viewer’s angle to the glass changes, so does its color.

Bendheim introduced large-format Optichroic® dichroic glass to the architectural market in the early 2000s. We recently added three new colorways to expand the palette.

Pluralsight Headquarters | Bendheim Architectural Glass Project

Pluralsight Headquarters, Draper, UT by Rapt Studio. Photo by Beth Hockett.

Pluralsight offers video training courses to software developers and IT administrators. The company recently consolidated its operations into a new state-of-the-art, 350,000 square foot headquarters. According to a press release, a key design objective was to “foster a feeling of connectivity and collaboration to further Pluralsight’s mission to democratize technology skills.” The four-story building includes a café, medical clinic, fitness center, bike room, and walking path with access to a nearby trail system.

Our dichroic glass clads the elevator lobbies throughout the building. It features a white back-paint, making it opaque for wall cladding purposes, as well as a “soft” etched surface to diffuse reflections. The maintenance-friendly SatinTech™ acid-etched surface also resists fingerprints and staining. B & D Glass installed the glass.

Pluralsight Headquarters | Bendheim Architectural Glass Project

Pluralsight Headquarters, Draper, UT by Rapt Studio. Photo by Beth Hockett.

Optichroic® glass has gained appeal with architects and interior designers due to its space-age aesthetic and versatility. Bendheim can tailor the glass with a wide range of finishes, textures, and light-diffusing interlayers to create different effects. Used in partitions, the laminated glass also provides added safety and acoustic privacy, with a minimum improvement of 4 points to the STC rating.

The glass’ versatility is illustrated in its wide range of applications. Optichroic® glass was installed in the main terminal at Hamad International Airport in Qatar, where it interacts with daylight through skylights, creating a dynamic play of color and light throughout the day. It was also installed at the City University of New York Science campus, where triple-laminated, custom-curved dichroic glass guardrails hug the contours of a six-story interior staircase.

Our new colorways of Optichroic® dichroic glass build on the products’ design flexibility. The glass is available in sizes 52” x 120” and thicknesses up to 3/4 inches. From subtle “color sans colors” partitions to vibrant feature walls, it allows architects to specify the color and intensity that works for their unique project.

Learn more about Bendheim’s new dichroic glass colors at https://bendheim.com/video/new-dichroic-glass/.

Our Gradient Glass Enhances the Shopping Experience at Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbour

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More Than 3,000 Square Feet of Fade® Architectural Glass Brightens Multi-Level Designer Store in Shopping Mecca

Architects collaborated with Bendheim to create a range of gradient glass varieties for a renovation at Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbour in Miami. Purposeful variations in the glass colors and translucency were used to define distinct areas and serve various functions throughout the space – from blush Fade® mirror cladding in the cosmetics department to vibrant prismatic glass escalator surrounds and product backdrops.

More than 3,000 square feet of our tailored Fade glass was included in the two-year renovation, which extended across three floors. Cincinnati-based NELSON Worldwide, formerly FRCH Nelson, collaborated on the project with HVC Global Design of New York. The renovation focused on modernizing the shopping experience at the store, which has been part of Bal Harbour Shops since 1976. The open-air shopping destination is home to more than 100 of the world’s most famous and luxurious fashion and jewelry brands. It is one of the highest grossing shopping centers in the world.

Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbor | Bendheim Architectural Glass Project

Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbour, Miami, FL by based NELSON Worldwide. Photos courtesy of Miller Glass & Glazing.

Architects selected laminated glass with customized color interlayers that smoothly transition in hue across the entire height of the glass. According to our Natalia Naleeva, the objective was to create a morning sky appearance in one level, an afternoon sky in another and, finally, an evening sky for the final layer.

“You cannot see where one color starts and the other ends,’’ said Naleeva, who worked with the architects and Saks’ design team to develop the glass. “It’s a very subtle transition. The hardest part was to get the right intensity of color. It had to be really subtle and delicate.”

Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbor | Bendheim Architectural Glass Project

Most panels in the project are 16 inches wide by 143 inches tall. The glass was manufactured by Bendheim in New Jersey, and installed on-site by Miller Glass & Glazing of Pompano Beach. Our sales, sampling, and production teams collaborated closely with the architect team to create the various gradient graphics required.

“We also had to be very careful fabricating the glass,’’ Naleeva said. “The interlayers are made of a delicate material that cannot be packed, nor placed on an uneven surface. We had to handle them with care.”

Bendheim’s decorative laminated glass can feature a wide range of interlayers, including graphic prints, color filters, metals, textiles, wood veneers, and more. The glass offers the highest level of design flexibility, allowing the creation of virtually unlimited aesthetics for a range of applications, from hotels and cultural buildings to medical centers.

Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbor | Bendheim Architectural Glass Project

Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbour, Miami, FL by based NELSON Worldwide. Photo courtesy of Miller Glass & Glazing.

“The design in this application is beautiful, but there are also distinct functional benefits,’’ Naleeva said. “While the glass is relatively see-through, it adds a layer of privacy in the escalator area. At the same time, it allows light to travel into the space, while lending a colorful touch.”

“The Saks Fifth Avenue project demonstrates our commitment to design excellence and our collaborative team spirit,” said Ben Jayson, Bendheim President. “With innovative thinking and improved technology, we are continuing to push the envelope to help architects meet their project requirements.”

Unveiling 3 New Dichroic Glass Colors for Architecture

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Space-Travel-Inspired Architectural Glass Creates Vibrant Visual Aesthetics

We are introducing three new colorways – Jupiter, Neptune and Saturn – to our line of Optichroic® dichroic glass. The fresh color-shifting hues expand architects’ and interior designers’ material palette, providing new ways to create dynamic light and color effects.

Dichroic glass is innately interactive in nature. As the viewer’s angle to the glass changes, so does its color, giving Optichroic its kinetic iridescent characteristics.

NASA developed dichroic glass in the late 1950s to protect against the potentially harmful effects of direct sunlight and cosmic radiation. With its striking visual qualities, dichroic glass has found use in a variety of architectural applications – from stair railings to wall cladding.

Bendheim introduced large-format Optichroic dichroic glass to the architectural market in the early 2000s, and the new colors are the first since the product launch.

Optichroic® Dichroic Architectural Glass | Bendheim

Optichroic® dichroic architectural glass from Bendheim.

Since its introduction to the market, Optichroic has gained appeal due to its space-age aesthetic and versatility. We can tailor the glass with a wide range of finishes, textures and light-diffusing interlayers, creating a myriad of effects. Adding a matte finish, for example, can soften the shifting hues and lend an ephemeral quality – what one client referred to as “color without color.” Adding a sharp texture has the opposite effect, intensifying the color.

The adaptability of our Optichroic glass is reflected in the diversity of its applications. At the City University of New York Science Campus, for instance, our triple-laminated dichroic guardrails were custom curved to hug the contours of the six-story interior staircase. Their fine etched surfaces diffuse and soften the light and glass colors. They also resist fingerprints and stains – the perfect choice for this high-traffic area. At Google’s New York City office, clear dichroic glass exhibits high reflectivity and color. It was selected for its ability to capture and radiate the full spectrum of light.

W New York Times Square | Dichroic Architectural Glass DJ Booth

Bendheim’s Optichroic® laminated glass forms the attention-grabbing DJ booth at the W New York – Times Square Hotel lobby. Photo by Michael Kleinberg.

The new dichroic colors build on the products’ design flexibility. The glass is available in sizes up to 50″ x 120″ and thicknesses up to 3/4″. From subtle “color sans color” partitions to vibrant feature walls, Optichroic glass allows architects to specify the colorway and intensity that works for their unique project.

Bendheim Celebrates Employee Day

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Town Hall & Company-Wide Picnic Help Build Bond Between Workers

Bendheim shared important company-wide updates and celebrated with employees old and new as part of our first Employee Day on September 9, 2021. The day included an employee Town Hall meeting in the morning, led by incoming President Ben Jayson, in which every department shared recent accomplishments, initiatives, and goals. Among the new developments, several new hires were introduced, and the Systems & Innovation department unveiled new systems and prototypes for interior and exterior applications.

Following the Town Hall, over 70 employees, including plant workers, office staff, sales personnel, and management enjoyed lunch, games, and raffles at Captain Kilroy Park in Wayne, N.J.

“Bendheim prides itself on our work environment,’’ Jayson said. “Over the years, generations of employees have worked here – parents bringing their children and grandchildren to the company for full-time positions, internships, or summer jobs, to gain experience or build a career at Bendheim. We have several family members working with us today. This was an opportunity to celebrate our successes and our tight-knit community.”

Human resources manager Alaina Plytynski spearheaded Employee Day and worked with company volunteers to plan and execute the day’s activities. The event was especially poignant as it brought together our teams from New York, New Jersey, and other locales for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.

“This was a great way to come together,’’ said Plytynski, who joined the company in 2020. “Many also remembered our International Day, which celebrates the various nationalities and cultures we represent. We all look forward to continuing this tradition, alongside our new Employee Day tradition.”

Bendheim, a fourth-generation family business, has retained our commitment to employees through various hardships, from the Great Depression to the Great Recession of the early 2000s. Employee Day helped strengthen the bond between departments and between workers at every level.

“We all have demanding jobs, so it’s important to take time to acknowledge the contributions of our employees,’’ said Jayson, the great-grandson of company founders Margaret and Sem Bendheim. “Recognizing our employees has played an important part in the foundational success of our business, and they are the reason we have been able to maintain a superior track record for nearly a century.”

Bendheim Architectural Glass Welcomes Occupants at Iconic Structure

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Over 2,000 Square Feet of Privacy Glass Used at Chicago’s Willis Tower Renovation

Several architectural glass products from Bendheim blend transparency and privacy in a major renovation at one of the world’s most iconic structures.

Our Gothic™ and Houdini™ glass were among the architectural choices in the $500 million renovation of Willis Tower in Chicago. Formerly known as the Sears Tower, the renovation covered 460,000 square feet and reached across five floors. Gensler led the project for real estate holders Blackstone and Equity Office.

Willis Tower, which held the mantle of the world’s tallest building for 25 years, is home to about 15,000 workers and hosts 1.7 million annual tourists. The Skydeck Chicago observatory at Willis Tower is a major tourist attraction for the city.

Willis Tower | Bendheim Architectural Glass Project

Willis Tower, Chicago, IL by Gensler. Photo by Derek Larsen.

Architects specified nearly 2,700 square feet of our glass to achieve different design objectives in the project. Backlit translucent white glass stair raisers highlight the main staircase. In the lobby, textured, 40% post-consumer recycled Gothic EcoGlass™ provides transparency, while also offering some obscurity.

Houdini glass was used in a security area to help obfuscate security equipment. Gensler also specified translucent White and Grey colored glass in the project. A custom-made, double-sided bronze etch mirror was used to bring a sense of hospitality and a warmer backdrop to the lobby.

Willis Tower | Bendheim Architectural Glass Project

Willis Tower, Chicago, IL by Gensler. Photo by Derek Larsen.

The overall design objective was to design a building that felt more welcoming for workers, tourists and the 170,000 people who work or live within a 5-minute radius of the building. Gensler, in a project profile on its website, said its “charge was to create a vibrant, world-class destination at a site that is not currently realizing its full potential.”

The renovation includes 300,000 square feet of new retail at the base of the tower as well as a new 30,000 square foot outdoor deck. The redesigned building also includes a subterranean area that allows visitors to look up 111 stories. New amenities include a fitness center, tenant lounges, and a private event space.

Willis Tower | Bendheim Architectural Glass Project

Willis Tower, Chicago, IL by Gensler. Photo by Derek Larsen.

Willis Tower was completed in 1974. The 1,450-foot skyscraper is the third largest building in the Western Hemisphere, and stood as the world’s tallest building for nearly 25 years. One World Trade Center and Central Park Tower are the only buildings taller than Willis Tower in the United States.

Christopher Glass Services of Chicago served as the installer while Turner and Clayco were the general contractors.

Bendheim Wall Systems Inc. Celebrates 20 Years in Specialty Glass Facades

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Expanded Technical Capabilities and Offerings Cater to a Growing Range of Building Types

Bendheim Wall Systems Inc., our exterior arm, is marking its 20-year anniversary in the specialty glass facades industry. We became the first to introduce Lamberts® channel glass to North America and establish it as the go-to solution for high-performance translucent glass envelopes. We were also the first to introduce North American architects to clipped ventilated glass facades.

Lantern effect at the Nelson-Atkins Museum

The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art introduced Bendheim’s Lamberts® channel glass to North America. Photo by Roland Halbe.

Key Developments:

In channel glass design:

  • Evolution from a product for cult architecture to a solution for everyday settings, from parking garages to office interiors
  • Shift towards more complex wall geometries
  • Commitment to sustainability, from the glass’ high percentage of post-consumer recycled content to its lower carbon footprint (EPD)

In glass rainscreen design:

  • Evolution from a quick solution for commercial facade facelifts to a key design element in a broad range of building types, from museums to schools
  • An expanded range of aesthetic options with a high degree of customization
  • A shift towards design assist to satisfy unique applications and increasingly complex requirements
3001 Orchard Parkway | Glass Rainscreen Facade

3001 Orchard Parkway in San Jose, CA, is the first project to feature a glass rainscreen facade by Bendheim. Photo by Jeff Peters, courtesy of MODULUS.

The project that launched our channel glass in North America – and set the tone for its design trajectory for years to come – was the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, MO by Steven Holl Architects. It features glass channels that reach continuous heights up to 23 feet and form five luminous glass structures, appearing to float over the landscape.

“Channel glass design has become democratized over the past two decades,” said Robert Jayson, Bendheim Co-Owner and Partner. “We have contributed to the shift by collaborating with architects to maximize the value of each design. For example, we provided the channel glass facade for the Schermerhorn affordable housing project in Brooklyn, and it was on a very tight budget.”

“Architects continue pushing the envelope into increasingly complex shapes,” added Michael Tryon, General Manager of Bendheim Wall Systems. “We recently completed our first helically curved channel glass walls at Steven Holl’s Franklin & Marshall College, and we look forward to the next challenge.”

Bendheim helical channel glass curves by Steven Holl at night

Helix-curved channel glass facades by Bendheim at Franklin & Marshall College emit a subtle viscerous glow at night. Photo by Paul Warchol.

Building on our expertise in specialty glass exteriors, in 2014, Bendheim launched North America’s first line of fully engineered clipped glass facades. The unique systems use compression fittings to cleanly and elegantly mount any type of glass to any building substructure. Engineered with several inches of field adjustability in all directions, they also speed facade fabrication and installation.

Bendheim’s first clipped glass projects were quick, budget-friendly commercial facelifts. Over the years, new systems, glass innovation, and our growing expertise drove a shift towards a broader range of building types. Our most recent projects include a museum, an educational facility, an airport, and a parking structure. Our latest product launch is an award-winning projectable glass rainscreen system that turns the building facade into a monumental video display. More than a protective decorative glass skin, the product has evolved into a key design feature, contributing to the art of the building.

JCCC fritted glass facade

At the JCCC Fine Arts and Design Studio, Bendheim’s customized ventilated glass facade diffuses light, creating a soft glow at night. Photo by Nick Merrick.

According to Said Elieh, VP of Systems & Innovation, the increasing complexity of project designs and objectives constantly drives the team to develop new solutions. “More than 90% of our projects are fully customized, and the majority are design assist. We work collaboratively with the architect to realize the design goals on budget,” said Elieh. “We also coordinate closely with the general contractor and installer. It’s important to create a unique and beautiful facade, but it also has to be easy and fast to build.”

As we celebrate our 20-year milestone, our Exterior team foresees a strong demand for increasingly complex facade geometries and the use of jumbo glass panels. Sustainability will continue to drive other requirements, including bird-friendly glass designs, glare reduction, and photovoltaic integration, among others.

For more information on our glass facade systems, please visit https://bendheim.com/professional/systems/.