best of
Architect: Bruce McSarlane, Calgary Airport Authority
Large-scale projects,
pillars of our expertise
For two decades, ThinkGlass has been delivering custom projects around the world. Some have required hundreds of hours of research and development and all of them have been developed in collaboration with leading architects and designers with a particular history of passion.
You will find on this page some of our most impressive projects with details on their development process.
Glacier Wall
Calgary Airport
Sedona Moongate Residence
Scottsdale, Arizona
JP Maury Pastry
Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas
BASTARACHE HOUSE
Montréal, Quebec
One South Dearborn
Chicago, Illinois
Browns Shoes
Commercial shelves, 70 stores throughout Canada
Glacier Wall
Calgary Airport – International Terminal – Canada
Architect: Bruce McSarlane, Calgary Airport Authority
Inspired by the Canadian Rockies, this work was created and handcrafted by our glass artists. This 220-foot-long mural is certainly the largest artistic glass work in the world. It is composed of three phases representing the mountains and its glaciers, the forest and the rivers.
To showcase its technical and artistic expertise, ThinkGlass jumped in this adventure and obtained the contract through an international competition.
Challenge
The goal was to introduce the view of the Rocky Mountains from Calgary upon arrival at the airport. It was an artistic challenge to blend the glass colours so that the glaciers descending on the mountains would melt into the forest and end in a river bed.
Technically ambitious with its huge self-supported pieces of glass that were pre-assembled at the factory and perfectly arranged to optimize the flow of this gigantic mural.
Result
The project required a total of over two years of work from conception to installation. It was finally unveiled in 2016 in the Themeworks section of the airport.
Arguably the largest glass work in the world, the Calgary Airport Mural is a spectacular work that will remain frozen in time long after the melting of the eternal glaciers it so perfectly represents.
Glass, an organic and noble matter, was a fitting and appropriate choice to represent the unalterable beauty of the Rocky Mountains. From design to installation, this landmark work is the pride of all parties involved in the project.
Specifications
Vertical Panels
Colours: Crystal
Texture: Artistic
Thickness: 36 mm
Edge: Natural
Horizontal Panels
Colour: Aqua
Texture: Artistic
Thickness: 96 mm (4 inches)
Edge: Polished
Sedona Moongate Residence
Private residence, Arizona, United States
Architect: Rick Wilcoxson, Wilcoxson Contracting
One of ThinkGlass’s most spectacular residential projects, this glass staircase in a luxury Arizona home blends into the rocky backdrop like a river running along its banks. A design masterpiece, this 23-tread floating structure amazes guests as they enter this gigantic luxurious home on the hills of the Sedona Mountains.
Challenge
A great design challenge for these 23 glass treads, 3 inches thick (72 mm), that had to be fixed to the rock at one end and suspended by a metal rod at the other.
The designer wanted to ensure the structural components are concealed. In addition, each tread had to be horizontally attached to avoid a pendulum effect.
Laboratory tests were conducted to find the optimal design and to answer all safety concerns.
Result
After 8 years of design, engineering and lab testing, from sketch to unveiling, ThinkGlass delivered these unique steps (no two are alike) to finalize this utterly spectacular organic staircase. A perfect blend of luminescence to match the surrounding stone.
This project is one of ThinkGlass’s architectural achievements that it is most proud of, showing off our signature polished edges.
The structural elements supporting this system are hidden and undetectable, giving the impression that the glass staircase is floating in an immense desert.
Specifications
Colour: Crystal
Texture: Natura
Thickness: 72 mm
Edge: Polished
JP MAURY PASTRY
Bellagio Hotel, Las Vegas, United States
An unexpected meeting with Norwood Oliver at a Las Vegas trade show in 2001 led to this great project. After a tour of our facilities and exploration of the possibilities, he transformed an initial order for a few copper bowls into the creation of a majestic 23-bowl organic fountain complete with a glass tile floor and an impressive 75-foot-long glass ribbon for the ceiling fixtures.
Challenge
After more than 18 months of research and development and meticulous work to allow 1,500 pounds of liquid chocolate to flow smoothly in a loop, without splashing, 24 hours a day, ThinkGlass was able to go into production with hundreds of glass pieces.
Pastry chef Jean-Philippe Maury and his designers travelled from Las Vegas to Montreal over 15 times to witness the flow testing and design refinement of this impressive glass fountain.
After a dozen versions and a single spill of 1500 pounds of chocolate on the floor, the ultimate goal was achieved with exquisite success!
Result
One of ThinkGlass’s most complex projects and one of the most significant in its history, the Bellagio Chocolate Fountain holds the Guinness World Record for the largest chocolate fountain. It is the most technically challenging project and one of the most recognizable pieces of art in Las Vegas, the man-made city in the heart of the Arizona desert.
Still beautiful and contemporary, this fountain has been running on a continuous loop for 20 years. The glass floor still looks new and its vertical suspension, like a glass curtain, always looking as modern.
Specifications
Glass bowls
Colour: Crystal
Texture: Artistic
Thickness: 19 mm
Light fixtures
Colour: Crystal
Texture: Artistic
Thickness: 12 mm
Floor tiles
Colour: Crystal
Texture: Brossa
Thickness: 36 mm
BASTARACHE HOUSE
A work in progress by one of Quebec’s top designers, almost every room in the Bastarache house is furnished with glass.
This designer’s love for glass is reflected in her choice of noble and refined materials where she blends all styles of glass without making it redundant.
Challenge
Over the years, this designer has made her mark on the history of ThinkGlass by pushing the company to explore the technical possibilities and limits of glass and design.
The great challenge of these projects was to match glass with materials in all rooms at different stages of renovations and construction to create an atmosphere in harmony with the spirit of the house.
Result
ThinkGlass is deeply rooted in the soul of the Bastarache home!
Indoor and outdoor kitchen countertops, bathroom counters, tables, stair treads, doors and textured glass murals blend seamlessly into an ultra-contemporary balanced decor.
Each piece is illuminated with lilac LED lighting for a harmonious and balanced reminder.
Specifications
Kitchen countertop
Colour: Crystal
Texture: Ice
Thickness: 48 mm
Edge: Polished
Stair treads
Colour: Crystal
Texture: Natura
Thickness: 12 mm
Edge: Polished
Outdoor counters
Colour: Crystal
Texture: Herma
Thickness: 36 mm
Bathroom counter
Colour: Crystal
Texture: Herma and Natura
Thickness: 48 mm et 96 mm
One South Dearborn
Hines Development, Chicago, United States
Architect: Kevin Schellendbach from Destafano Keating and Partners
Passersby on famed South Dearborn Street in downtown Chicago are drawn to the majestic 18 by 40 feet murals of the One South Dearborn emblematic building.
Designed by architecture firm Destafano Keating and Partners, these two murals crafted by ThinkGlass are the focal point of the lobby of this 40-story landmark office building, while a 10-foot glass pylon serves as the exterior signature display.
These works are part of the Chicago architectural tour. This building was the very first in the state of Illinois to be LEED Silver (Core & Shell) certified.
Challenge
Designing two 18’ x 40’ glass walls made up of 24 panels of 3’ x 10’ glass each. Creating a floating wall with an invisible metal structure to support these panels was one of the challenges brilliantly overcome by ThinkGlass’s expert team.
The other technical challenge was to create the transparent texture on a 1.5-inch-thick three-dimensional structure.
Result
After being awarded the contract from three finalists, ThinkGlass designed and delivered 24 panels of 14,400 lbs. of heavy weight glass with a very strong texture that beautifully represents glaciers in transparency. This public art piece has since become part of the architectural tour of the famous Windy City.
The exterior sculpture consists of 24 stacked pieces of glass, each 5 inches thick. This exterior concept is reminiscent of rocky and luminous strata and combines perfectly with the interior concept of the glaciers.
Specifications
Murals
Colour: Crystal
Texture: ICE
Thickness: 1.5 inches
Outdoor Structures
Colour: Crystal
Thickness: 5 inches
Commercial Shelves Browns Shoes
Browns Shoes, Canada
Designer: Julie Thibodeau
What better way to showcase luxury items than with a glass shelf that reflects the company’s prestige?
A chance meeting between a Browns designer and the owner of ThinkGlass led to a close and very human and long-lasting partnership that started over 21 years ago. The bright, noble and maintenance-free appeal of glass shelves immediately spoke to the design team of Canada’s most recognized shoe company.
More than 70 stores promote their footwear on ThinkGlass shelves and now incorporate glass counters, storefronts and displays.
Challenge
This ongoing project keeps ThinkGlass on the edge of innovation and trend.
As a fashion pioneer, Browns relies on ThinkGlass’s expertise to innovate with organic textures continually developed to keep up with trends.
Creating curved nose counters to promote thicker glass forces us to explore new ways of doing things.
Result
A great partnership rose from an initial order of 7 shelves to promote the beauty of Browns products.
Today, ThinkGlass is at the heart of the design of 70 Browns Shoes stores: shelves, counters, display units and counter fronts are now showcasing high-end shoe lines with avant-garde, sleek and luxurious style.
The success of this venture relies on ThinkGlass’s continuous research and development of new textures and commercial glass solutions. Some stores have been redone two or three times, and the only thing remaining of the design is the glass… and the shoes!
The latest addition, the Diamantina texture, custom-developed for this client, brings a new shine to shiny products!
Specifications
Shelves
Colour: Crystal
Texture: Herma and Natura
Thickness: 12 mm and 1 inch
Edge: Polished
Countertops
Colour: Crystal
Texture: Herma
Thickness : 1.5 inches
Edge: Polished