Structural Glass

the long version

In Structural Glass, Peter Rice and Hugh Dutton discuss the development of a new method of working with glass. Peter Rice no longer considers glass an inert material: in his view, it is a material that, when correctly used, reacts to loads. Its structural qualities can therefore be exploited. The authors describe how the exceptional serres, or greenhouses, of the Musee des Sciences et de l'Industrie at Parc La Villette, Paris were achieved. They show in detail their methods and design philosophy and reveal the difficulties and obstacles encountered. Structural Glass is also a passionate account of the intellectual approach and techniques involved in high-technology projects, where architecture plays a role in the development of an evolving technical culture.