When designing the Polk Penguin Conservation Center at the Detroit Zoo, Albert Kahn Associates decided they wanted to build an iceberg, and they did just that. After opening in April of 2016, the center won the 2017 Exhibit Award from the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) for excellence in exhibit design.
To create an icicle effect in the glass, Pilkington Arctic Blue™, Pilkington Solar-E™ Plus Graphite Blue, and Pilkington Texture Glass Cotswold™, were layered together. This unusual combination gave the designers the Arctic color palette they were seeking aesthetically while helping to maintain the desired temperatures inside the building.
Finally, a design etched into the glass was included in the impressive entranceway helping to pull it all together.
There was 2000 sq/ft of various Pilkington North America glass products used in the project and it was fabricated by Thompson IG and installed by Edwards Glass.