LIRR East End Gateway, New York (US)

For the LIRR East End Gateway, the new entrance to New York’s famous Penn Station, sunglass industry supplied 139 double-curved panes. The glass laminates form the imposing roof of the inclined cable net façade.

The individual panes were attached to a network of steel frames and stainless steel cables using special point holders. The curved glass canopy creates a light-flooded, weightless atmosphere that accompanies descending passengers to the concourse, passengers leaving the station enjoy an unobstructed view of the Empire State Building.

139 double-bent unique glasses
Due to their complex geometries, the doublecurved glasses were gravitationally bent. For this purpose, sunglass industry designed precise bending moulds to bring the glass into the appropriate shape in the bending chambers. Profound technical know-how in the planning process, mould construction and bending expertise guarantee precisely fitting bent glass panes and ensure efficient and rapid production. After bending, the panes were chemically strengthened. The challenge was the distortion-free lamination of the panes. The outermost SG interlayers have been imprinted with a dot matrix. In their shape as well as their print, each of the glass unit is unique.