23 september 2025
Cast Glass
In this video, Telesilla Bristogianni and Faidra Oikonomopoulou explain the process and potential of glass casting as a method for creating three-dimensional architectural components. This technique allows for the creation of complex, solid glass shapes that fully utilize the material's high compressive strength. The process is divided into two main types based on the starting state of the glass. Primary casting involves founding glass from raw ingredients and includes methods like hot pouring. Secondary casting, or kiln casting, involves reheating pre-made solid glass pieces in a single kiln. A critical step is annealing, the controlled cooling to relieve internal stresses, a process that becomes lengthier for thicker pieces. The molds that are used are either disposable (for unique shapes, rough finish) or permanent (for series production, smooth finish). The main architectural limitation is the immense annealing time for large components, confining most applications to brick-sized units. However, topology optimization (reducing mass while maintaining stiffness) can drastically cut cooling times, enabling future large-scale, monolithic glass structures. The video was produced by the Open GLASSroom project. Special thanks to Telesilla Bristogianni and Faidra Oikonomopoulou for contributing to the Open GLASSroom OER collection. The creation of these resources has been (partially) funded by the ERASMUS+ grant program of the European Union under grant no. 2022-1-DE01-KA220-HED-000089750. Neither the European Commission nor the project's national funding agency DAAD are responsible for the content or liable for any losses or damage resulting of the use of these resources.