Organized jointly by the Vitrocentre Romont, the Bern University of the Arts, Conservation and Restoration Section, and the Institute of Art History at the University of Bern, the Call for Papers for the International Symposium Glass in architecture from the pre- to the post-industrial era: Production, use and conservation (Vitrocentre Romont, 5-6 November 2021) is now open.
“The history of sheet glass is long and intrinsically linked to developments in architecture. The material and its potential has always inspired architects, engineers and artists. History is rich with examples of sheet glass use on a monumental scale. Throughout the centuries, the growing demand for sheet glass has fuelled production and led to technological innovations in its manufacture.
The symposium is dedicated to the fascinating history of production and use of sheet glass. The aim of the conference is to highlight the interactions between technological innovations in the fields of sheet glass production and architecture and to elucidate the highly diverse properties and qualities of plate glass, which vary according to the manufacturing process used. Another objective will be to discuss the challenges presented by the preservation of historical architectural glass, particularly in the context of the trend towards thermal insulation of buildings, which often results in the replacement of the original windows.”
Topics of the symposium are:
- “From cast to float glass. The history of sheet glass production from pre-industrial times to the present day;
- Mutual influences: Technological innovations in the sheet glass and construction industries;
- From Crystal Palace to Burj Khalifa: Glass in architecture from the 19th to the 21st century;
- Disappearing legacy: The challenge of preserving and in situ-restoration of architectural glass.”
The languages of the Symposium are English, French and German.
Abstracts should be sent until 15th January 2021 to Sophie Wolf: sophie.wolf@vitrocentre.ch.
For more details visit the Vitrocentre Romont website and download the Call for Papers here.