Replacement of Fiberglass System
Challenge
The five-story atrium had an existing dark and dingy skylight system that been yellowing for years. It needed to be replaced to open up the space with as much daylight as possible. To further add to the challenge, a large-scale glass sculpture was to be suspended from the skylight’s structural members. Safety was a major concern, and maximizing the available natural light was necessary since no artificial lights were to be used to illuminate the glass sculpture.
Solution
VELUX’s Pinnacle system was chosen for its narrow profiles, clean lines and variable-pitch hinge design which can support spans up to 40 feet wide. The glass consisted of 3′ x 8′ panels with 4.37:12 pitch. The glazing is a solar blue tint with a high-performance low-e coating, which was meant to be similar to the exterior of the building and, even on a really bright day, look like blue sky. It was necessary for the skylight installation to be coordinated with the artwork installation. Cables were pre-hung from the Pinnacle system and later the artist used a 45′ boom to hang each of the glass panels from the skylight.