Page 40 - Glass-Technology International no. 4/2018

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VITRO GLASS spaces for the birds to bathe, play and
nest. There are also a variety of new
STARPHIRE GLASS FOR RENOVATED tropical plants, including cacao and
coffee trees as tools for conservation
TROPICAL RAINFOREST education; custom perches; and other
energy-efficient enhancements.
Covered by a new bird-friendly glass The specialized glass configuration “As one of the National Aviary’s
canopy featuring laminated Starphire drastically reduces the chances of largest free-flight spaces, the Tropi-
®
Ultra-Clear glass by Vitro Glass, bird-glass collisions, prevents birds of cal Rainforest is a visitor favourite, al-
the Tropical Rainforest exhibit at the prey living outside from seeing and lowing guests to view natural behav-
National Aviary reopened on 13 July attempting to reach potential prey liv- iours and interact with many species
following a four-month-long renova- ing inside the building and maximizes of birds,” said Tracy. “The revitalized
tion. UV and natural light transmittance habitat will enhance the beauty of the
The restoration, which began in to help sustain wildlife and plant life space, and more importantly, allow us
March and is the first in the popular inside. to represent the diversity of a rainfor-
exhibit’s 66-year history, involved the Richard A. Beuke, president, Vitro est ecosystem more comprehensively
installation of 19,600-square-feet of Architectural Glass, said the new through the varieties of plants, mam-
®
Starphire Ultra-Clear glass, featur- glass aligns with the National Avi- mals and birds that live there. It will
®
ing AviProtek bird-friendly Velour ary’s mission to inspire respect for also enable visitors to connect with
acid-etched finish by Walker Glass; nature through an appreciation for the important conservation concepts
the addition of new immersive activi- birds. “The unique characteristics of that can enable all of us to work
ties for the 72 birds that live there; Starphire Ultra-Clear glass greatly together to protect these disappearing
and the installation of new lighting improve the aesthetics, performance wild habitats.”
and flooring. and bird-friendly aspects of the Tropi- The renovation coincides with the
An invitation-only ribbon-cutting cal Rainforest’s new glass dome,” he 25th anniversary of the Aviary’s offi-
ceremony, which was attended by said. “It helps create a healthy home cial national designation and renam-
approximately 100 dignitaries and for the birds and protects them, all ing as the National Aviary.
special guests, was held before the ex- while enhancing the environment.” Introduced in 1990 and manu-
hibit reopened to the public at noon. Vitro Glass supplied more than 3,100 factured in Carlisle, Pennsylvania,
®
Bird-safety experts at the National panes of laminated glass, which was Starphire Ultra-Clear glass is the
Aviary consulted with architectural fabricated by Dlubak Specialty Glass clearest, most transparent commer-
representatives from Vitro Glass Corp., Blairsville, Pennsylvania, and cial float glass available today. With
to determine the best solution for installed by Greenhouse RSI, Greater visible light transmittance (VLT) of
replacing the original single-strength Cincinnati. Montgomery Smith, Inc., 91% in a standard ¼-inch (6mm)
annealed float glass that was installed Burlington, Kentucky, experts in thickness, the glass will maximize the
during the habitat’s construction in greenhouse and conservatory preser- colour fidelity and translucency of the
1952. vation, design and engineering, was acid-etched Walker Textures prod-
“The unique bird-friendly glass selec- the historic conservatory consultant. uct to make it safer for birds, and to
tion played a key role in transforming Other new features in the Tropical give the Tropical Rainforest exhibit
the space, both because it protects Rainforest include a 15-foot water- a whiter, opulent, more aesthetically
birds inside and outside the habitat fall that spills out to three tiers of pleasing look.
and because the UV light penetration ponds and encompasses immersive www.vitroglazings.com
is so beneficial in supporting plant
and animal life,” explained Cheryl
Tracy, executive director of the Na-
tional Aviary.
The custom specification incorpo-
rates complete acid-etched coverage
on the exterior (#1) surface of an
ultra-premium, low-iron glass made
by Vitro Architectural Glass, which
also is one of the sponsors of the
USD 1.2 million project.

38 Glass-Technology International 4/2018