Learn how our glass played a pivotal role in the success of The Block

Channel 9’s hit television show The Block provided another amazing season in 2016. At Viridian, we were thrilled to be involved as a sponsorship partner, featuring not one but two of our residential glass products.

Our high-end glazing products proved to be a brilliant fit for the Art deco theme, with our LightBridge^TM and MirraEcho^TM glass both playing major roles in the execution of the rooms, as well as the main entrance foyer. From stylish kitchen splash backs to hero ‘windows-as-walls’, our glass was a fundamental to The Block’s formation.

Season Architect for The Block Julian Brenchly sat down and discussed the importance of glass selection in making the apartments flourish– not only in aesthetic but comfort too. He explains;

“The technology is extraordinary in the double-glazing we are putting in this building,” Brenchly explains. “People don’t even realise it and that is a good thing. They are not asking the question whether it is double-glazed because they are perfectly comfortable. If someone can walk into a room, not even notice it and walk back out again and feel perfectly comfortable – job done.”

With a huge factor of The Block coming down to the decorative element, it was essential that the mirrors created a timeless yet standout look to an already impressive building. Wanting to keep the design simple and classy, it was imperative the design wasn’t polarising but warm and inviting for tenants and visitors.

“The towering, beveled foyer mirrors in Viridian MirraEchoTM are quite a standout,” Brenchly explains. “That bronze finish is really a spectacular bit of glass work. It’s a spectacular example of how to use glass in a building both for colour and for mirrors in the foyer with a beveled edge detail. It’s really such a simple thing to have bronzed mirrors and yet it offers this amazing colour against the white wall. You walk in there and don’t even realise that it is a bright, stark white wall because you are so drawn to the warmth of the glass and reflection. That is fantastic.”

Brenchly goes on to explain how complex it can be to get the external glazing right, with there being a risk that the design could fall flat and become a disaster. Because older buildings have some major challenges, it’s imperative to have a product that can adapt to a range of fittings and frames.

“Everyone in Viridian’s team worked with the external glazing and all the intricacies involved. That is no mean feat to provide double-glazed panels that retrofit into existing steel frames that are complex in their own right. The team has done a great job and the proof is in the pudding. It really does work.”

With a strong focus on the amazing views available to them, a huge highlight of the building is absolutely the abundance of windows and harnessing the building’s natural light. It was a key factor to its brilliance, with Brenchly stating, “the standout qualities in a consistent sense for each part of the building is how they have responded to the light.”

As huge advocates for sustainability, we were thrilled to learn that the same enthusiasm is shared by Brenchley and the producers of The Block, with Brenchly explaining that it’s something they feel very strongly about and hope to incorporate for years to come.

“The new owners of these fabulous apartments show that everyone’s on board with that message in terms of one aspect of sustainability. I’m rapt to be able to say I am involved in that particular genre. Let’s call it adaptive reuse. I would like to take the strength of that message to the next Block, and the next Block and the next Block.”

Well that’s music to our ears!

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