A record-breaking piece of glass has been installed in Cornwall as part of “The Story of Emily” museum complex, setting a new milestone for architectural glazing and underscoring the UK’s ongoing leadership in structural glass innovation.
Spanning 20 metres in length and 3.2 metres in height, the vast panel now fronts the café and restaurant area of the cultural attraction, offering panoramic views while pushing the boundaries of design, fabrication, and installation. The installation also includes a 6-metre-long rooflight composed of 3-metre-wide double-glazed panels, each featuring glass spacers and a pre-cambering process to reduce structural deflections and enhance perceived lightness.
The ambitious project is the latest collaboration between structural engineering firm GL&SS, architecture practice Stonewood Design, specialist glazing contractor Cantifix Ltd, and German manufacturer sedak GmbH & Co. KG. GL&SS oversaw the project from concept through to installation, employing one of the UK’s largest cranes to manoeuvre the 1.2-tonne glass units into place.
“This work builds on decades of exploration into the structural potential of glass,” a GL&SS spokesperson said, noting that the firm traces its pioneering work back to founder Tim Macfarlane’s role in landmark projects such as the Yurakucho Canopy in Tokyo and the original Apple Store glass cube in New York.
Founded in 1985 as Dewhurst Macfarlane and Partners, and renamed GL&SS in 2012, the practice has built a reputation for delivering complex architectural glazing systems for buildings across Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. Its interdisciplinary team includes façade engineers, architects, and sustainability consultants, all with a focus on pushing the envelope of what glass can achieve structurally.
The installation at The Story of Emily underscores a broader trend in the construction industry, where materials-led design and precision engineering are reshaping how glass is used—not merely as cladding, but as a primary load-bearing and aesthetic element.
As glass technology continues to evolve at pace, GL&SS says its mission remains rooted in “solving complex structural problems that explore the limits of construction.”
Why this matters: This record-breaking installation highlights the UK’s leadership in structural glass, demonstrating how collaboration, precision engineering, and advanced fabrication techniques are redefining glass as a primary structural and architectural element.
