The wall we are talking about is NOT the one that is constantly in the news headlines. No this is the old fashioned, typical barrier constructed between rooms and as a part of created hallways.
In the past walls were very rarely involved into the aesthetics of a design process. They were there to hold artwork or maybe a design, but incorporating something in lieu of old tried and true materials like drywall was very rare. But times are changing and recently there’s been a blast of creativity involving the interior space and specifically- the wall.
Glass is being used more and more on the interior of projects. Its many abilities, including promoting natural light have been well documented. But glass also is easier to clean and maintain than most of its interior building product counterparts. Glass can also be fabricated and finished to add color and design in a more vivid and impressive way than paint on a drywall board.
A great case and point in this effort was taken on by the team at AECOM at their building in Cleveland, Ohio. AECOM is an architectural firm recognized as one of the best in the world. They obviously are staying up with the trends and in this case they practiced what they preached by designing walls that used Walker Textures® Grey Satin Mirror. The Satin etch finish combined with the grey color and the mirror backing gave off a unique and clean look throughout the hallways of the AECOM building.
John Dunn, Architectural Manager – Great Lakes of Walker Glass is excited about the positive trend for glass as the wall material.
“AECOM has a great reputation for building iconic structures all over the world, so to see them use our material, in the way they did, in their own building is quite an honor for us. The usage of this product in this application just continues to become more popular as many are seeing the advantages of a glass product versus others.”
A worry that some may have when seeing words like “grey” “etch” and “mirror” together is that this could be a very dark area or possibly too reflective- mirrored walls were in fashion in the 1970’s and not much anymore. But in the products that were installed in the AECOM building that was not the case because the Grey Satin Mirror is NOT like you would expect- just like these walls are not the typical or normal.
The satin finish is characterized by a highly polished surface and reduced reflection. The key word here is “reduced” in that you still get that impressive polished look but without the heavy reflectivity. The choice of grey matched with Walker’s etch boosts the color from looking plain to looking positively fresh. The overall combination gives off a modern look that makes people stop and take notice.
Dunn sums it up well as instead of following the old path, why not start a new one.
“If we have to have walls to separate rooms or create hallways why not make them the best they can be. Have them stand out and be something that is easy to clean and maintain and another area within your structure to be proud of!”
Project Details:
Name: AECOM Building
Architect: AECOM, Cleveland, Ohio
Glazier: RC Glass, Twinsburg, Ohio
Etched Glass Manufacturer: Walker Glass, Montreal QC
Etched Products Used: 6MM acid-etched Grey Mirror with Satin finish
