In the southern Vietnamese city of Trà Vinh, a shimmering edifice rises, wave-like, into the sky. Constructed from 3,000 glass bricks, Crystal Pavilion is a residential project unveiled by architecture firm Da Vàng Studio earlier this year.
The curved façade incorporates an energy-efficient ventilation system while filtering natural light through the home, and it’s just one of a spate of recent projects that have put this once-maligned material at the forefront of modern design.
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Rather than a nostalgia-tinged redux, the resurgence of glass bricks (often also called glass blocks) is grounded in an approach that uses their sculptural and light-diffusing properties. The structure of the Crystal Pavilion brings to mind Pierre Chareau’s 1928 modernist Maison de Verre (also known as the House of Glass) in Paris, France.
A steel frame infilled with glass bricks, the home was a pioneering feat of engineering and is the best-known example of the trend in an architectural context. In the near-century, glass bricks have risen and fallen from favour (with a heyday in 1980s design), but an influx of their use in forward-thinking interior-design projects is perhaps finally cementing their place in the modern playbook.
From desk to dining room
Today’s designers are finding a stylish home for glass bricks in commercial and hospitality settings. Buchanan Studio’s take on the idea introduces more colour, wrapping a kitchen in jewel-hued glass. ‘The colours play with light beautifully, creating a sense of energy that matches the atmosphere of the space,’ says co-founder and creative director Angus Buchanan.
Studio Naav took a Lego-like approach by stacking them to create seating in Sabha Coffee, a stylish spot in Film Nagar, Hyderabad. ‘This design allows natural light to filter through the stepped seating while maintaining a sense of openness and visual interest,’ say its founders Niharika and Varsha Prashasan.
Instant curve appeal
One contemporary use of glass bricks is as the building blocks of sinuous partitions and walls. It’s a tactic that is especially useful in homes where space is tight. Mistovia Studio created a curved wall to enclose the bathroom in this compact apartment in Katowice, Poland.
‘This way, you can give a space different functions without blocking out the light,’ notes designer Alexandra Erhard, one half of Studio Karhard. The studio was briefed to create extra living space in a recently designed Berlin apartment and installed a curved glass-brick wall to divide the living room and the entrance.
