Apple Store in Shanghai contributes to the design of buildings considered icons of structural glass achievement today. The store was inagurated the last July 2010th . It is located in the Pudong financial district, situated among the Oriental Pearl Tower and the Shanghai World Financial Center, one of the tallest skycrapers worldwide.

The design is made by Bohlin Cywinski Jackson Architects, a prominent american architecture studio, which has cooperated in other Apple stores as New York and London.

The glass cilindrical envelope is formed by tempered curved glass of 12 meters height and its design achieves the best integration between aesthetic and functional objectives through its structural system. Structure and envelope are formed by glass.

The facade resists wind loads acting all the glass panes together as a shell. It is achieved through the stainless steel conectors which link the glass panes. Therefore, this structural systems develop less stress in each glass panel and thus it decreases the glass thickness and makes possible this design.

The glass panes are fixed by a glass laminated fins, that forms a frame with roof glass beams that support the top of the cylinder.

In order to obtain a 12 meters curved tempered glass, an special oven was constructed only for this project to fabricate the largest pieces of curved tempered glass.

Through this design and use of materials, Apple communicates to the whole world perfection, innovation and passion for being the best.

Source: renatocilento.blogspot.com

Repost from the GKD pressroom