Preliminary conversations began in early 2019 and over the next two (2) years AGNORA’s participation continued to evolve. Initially, a few pieces of custom-cut triangular glass were at the base of the tower.  However, as complexity grew and the need for a high-quality, regional supplier was recognized, AGNORA’s scope increased to provide most of the glass used throughout the soaring observation tower.

AGNORA thrives on opportunities to think BIG and make the impossible, possible. As the project advanced, custom requirements began to unfold.  Due to the arrangement of the insulated glass units (IGUs) a custom colour for the secondary sealant was needed to match the spacer colour.  AGNORA adopted a new class of grey silicon to match the colour requirement, but also to improve overall joint strength by 30%.  This translated into increased argon retention due to the minimized strain on the primary seal.  As a result of the success of the product, AGNORA has extended its product portfolio.

As the tower is an incredible visage of glass, solar and temperature control are a major concern.  AGNORA worked with Vitreco to provide optimal thermal and solar efficiency on the IGUs, which averaged in size up to approximately 2.6m x 3.7 (102” x 145”).

The outboard lite features Saint Gobain’s Cool-lite XTREME 70/33 on Diamant, while Pilkington’s heat-strengthened OptiWhite was deployed on the interior glass to match the low iron qualities of the Diamant. This configuration provided an optimal blend of visible light, a very low solar heat gain, and a fantastic winter U-Value (VTc 70%, SHGC 0.29, U-Factor 1.39 W / 0.24 BTU).

Given the 65-metre height of the tower, the glass needed to meet relevant wind load requirements. In fact, the IGUs needed to manage 42 PSF, and in some cases three up to 63 PSF due to highly exposed area and proximity to water. The original scope included an IGU constructed of monolith glass only, however, this proved to be too thin. To minimize deflection and achieve the specifications for wind load, Kurarary’s SentryGlas became the laminate of choice to join the glazing. The final configuration of the IGU’s were 10mm (3/8”) tempered SGG Coolite XTREME 70/33, an 18mm spacer, and heat-strengthened Pilkington Optiwhite in a 10mm (3/8”) / 6mm (1/4”) SentryGlas laminate.

Recognizing not all the glass needed to meet the high wind-load thresholds, the task then became like assembling a puzzle. Frame sizing was reduced where needed to hold smaller monolithic IGUs in less exposed areas of the building.  Thus, patience and intricate planning went into the coordination ensuring the right IGUs were delivered to the correct locations on the various sides of the glass tower.

To aid with the transportation and staging for placement of the various glass shapes, sizes, weights, and thicknesses, VITRECO purchased glass racks that could be kept on site.  This highlighted the need to work with a local fabricator. Logistics and fabrication worked together to fulfil the project in a more “on-demand” fashion and the system worked well with AGNORA’s ability to output variations to the project and tackle the ever-present scope creep.

This project has been a collaborative effort for team AGNORA. From start to finish, advancing the boundaries of safety, logistics and products along the way. Confidently satisfying both safety and vision, this modern architectural statement is poised to become a landmark making the Quay truly grand.