PPG to supply Starphire ultra-clear glass to One World Trade Center

PPG Industries, Pittsburgh,will supplyStarphire ultra-clear, low-iron glass for One World Trade Center in New York. The glass will be used for the podium wall system on Tower One, currently under construction at the new World Trade Center complex in lower Manhattan.

Also known as Freedom Tower, One World Trade Center will reach 102 stories and 1,776 feet upon completion in 2013, making it the tallest building in the United States. The podium base wall--designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the building's architect of record--will be 185 feet tall and incorporate more than 2,000 pieces of prismatic glass and welded aluminum screens.

Gary Danowski, PPG vice president, performance glazings, said Starphire glass was selected for its ability to maintain the highest levels of clarity at thicknesses of up to1 inch (25 millimeters), according to an Oct. 29 release.

He added that PPG is gratified be part of the landmark structure. "Glass is a signature element in the design of One World Trade Center, not just because of its beauty and functionality, but because it is symbolic of our country's commitment to openness, transparency and freedom," Danowski said. "As the first commercially successful plate glass manufacturer in the United States, PPG is proud to provide material that will help reinforce those ideals on an iconic structure that will soon be recognized around the world."

Danowski cited the opportunity to work with recognized leaders in the construction industry as another benefit of participating in the project. "We are pleased to be working again with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, with whom we've completed a number of projects, as well as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Tishman Construction, Zetian Systems, Solera/DCM and Sanxin Fa?ade Technology," he said in the release.

PPG will supplyStarphire in thicknesses of 10, 12 and 25 millimeters from its glass manufacturing plant near Carlisle, Pa.