renzo piano museum (milan) sustainable design

2. Renzo Piano

3. renzo piano is an italian architect and engineer
who currently leads renzo piano building
workshop, an international practice with offices
in paris, genoa, and new york. the studio is led
by 11 partners, including its founder who won
the pritzker prize in 1998. since its creation in
1981, RPBW has completed over 120 projects
across europe, north america, australia and east
asia.RPBW buildings include the london bridge
tower (the shard), the stavros niarchos cultural
center in athens, the new campus for columbia
university in new york, the palais de justice in
paris, and the whitney museum of american art.
in 2017, the pompidou center in paris, designed
by renzo piano and richard rogers, celebrated its
40th anniversary.

4. saflex structural laminated glass dome
crowns renzo piano's academy museum
of motion pictures

5. in creating the dome of the academy of
motion picture arts and sciences’
museum in los angeles, aesthetic
and structural considerations were
of paramount importance. for the
designers, the choice was clear:
saflex® structural.

6. the exquisitely engineered academy of motion picture
arts and sciences museum in los angeles uses low
iron glass and saflex structural interlayer in order to
create a highly transparent glass dome. image ©
renzo piano designing a museum for the academy of
motion picture arts and sciences in los angeles is no
easy feat. how do you create an unmissable
architectural statement in a megacity so intimately
connected with silver screen glamour? more
practically, how do you design a building that can
withstand LA’s near-tropical temperatures, severe air
pollution and frequent earthquakes, while remaining
as ageless as the city’s resident movie stars? saflex
structural provided the technical and aesthetic
solution to the significant challenges the project
faced.

7. the dome comprises approximately
1,500 laminated glass panels and
creates a spectacular viewing
platform for the museum’s visitors.
images © renzo piano roman
schieber, associate director at
knippers helbig, explains that the
glass panes are attached to the
structure only on the inner side,
leaving the outer layer of the dome
free of any further connecting
elements. ‘we needed a laminated
glass product with a stiff PVB
interlayer. that was the basis of the
design from the beginning,’ he
elaborates. ‘because structural
strength and rigidity were vital for
this shingled design, knippers helbig
specified the use of saflex
structural.’

8. all parts of the new building have been designed
with care, not least the spectacular, shimmering
glass roof that shields visitors from the
elements, yet provides perfect, crystal clear
views of hollywood. with a diameter of 45.4
meters, over 1,500 individual laminated glass
panels cover an impressive 2,747m2 of space.
specifying the right materials and components
for this roof – the building’s most distinguishing
feature – meant ensuring structural integrity
while achieving maximum transparency

9. saflex structural PVB interlayer not only ensures the dome’s
flawless appearance, but protects the glass panels against
delamination, safeguarding its structural integrity and
transparency. images © renzo piano

10. the low-iron, uncoated glass panels,
together with a saflex structural
PVB layer, ensure crystal clear views
of the surrounding cityscape of LA’s
iconic wilshire boulevard. the high-
quality interlayer also protects the
glass against delamination,
preserving the dome’s integrity in
years to come.

11. just as important as the aesthetics of this
gravity-defying structure was its strength.
saflex structural‘s superior strength –
paired with the isolation of its elegant steel
structure from the ground, allowing it to move
and sway – practically eliminates the risk of
damage should one of california’s notoriously
frequent earthquakes occur.despite its
effortless appearance, the structural design
and development of the glazed roof lasted
several years and included detailed planning of
the installation sequences for the 146 different
shapes and sizes of glass panel. this ensured
the project could be completed on time as well
as on budget, with almost no change orders
required.

12. world-class architecture and engineering have come together
to create an unforgettable landmark on LA’s iconic wilshire
boulevard and saflex structural played a crucial supporting
role. image © renzo piano ‘renzo piano’s team is fascinated
by every engineering detail, and we found the collaboration to
be extraordinary.’ says schieber on working alongside the
pritzker prize winning architect. ‘we created a unique,
shingled glass concept.’ the effect is ephemeral – a seemingly
weightless glass shell with high structural strength and
transparency. saflex structural provided an ideal fit for this
high-performance, high-profile building, combined with an
expert team from around the globe.