As a highly transparent material that stands up to all but the most extreme of weather conditions, is easily formed into any size or shape, and, once formed, will last for thousands of years, glass is still one of the most innovative and crucial materials used in architecture. Although contemporary building practices allow us to form huge, glittering skyscrapers of glass that rise hundreds of meters into the air, the ancient material?s original purpose ? to welcome light into weathertight and secure interiors ? remains its most important more than a thousand years on.

Shenzhen Hongshan Middle School. Image © XINLEE

As a highly transparent material that stands up to all but the most extreme of weather conditions, is easily formed into any size or shape, and, once formed, will last for thousands of years, glass is still one of the most innovative and crucial materials used in architecture. Although contemporary building practices allow us to form huge, glittering skyscrapers of glass that rise hundreds of meters into the air, the ancient material?s original purpose ? to welcome light into weathertight and secure interiors ? remains its most important more than a thousand years on.As important as glass is to almost every typology of architecture in the form of windows, when it comes to the roof of a building, the use of glass is not so simple. We?ve understood the power and danger of combining light and glass ever since we saw a magnifying glass used to concentr...