As summer winds down and we begin to prepare for fall, I am also preparing for a journey that will take me to a place that I’ve heard called “the art glass capital of the world.” It’s the one place that has always topped my list of “must sees.” Sure, I’m looking forward to all of the typical site seeing venues, but, I admit, I’m also looking forward to the glass, especially the decorative glass. 

I will be off to Australia. Yes, the opera house and the zoo in Sydney are definite musts, but like I said, the glass is also important. So, to prepare myself, I asked around to try and learn more about what I can expect to find in terms of glazing.

My fellow blogger Stew Langer with Uroglass told me I will find decorative glass just about everywhere.

“It’s not unusual to drive through neighborhoods where every house is adorned with one or more stained glass windows (”leadlights” in OZ). There are commercial districts where every storefront has some decorative glazing or glass sign. When you visit a venue that is perfect for glass (e.g. Star City Casino, in Sydney) then LOOKOUT. Floors, ceilings, escalator sidings, signs (unbelievable stuff), miles of balustrade, bar backs, lighting, more, more, more, more. Talk about feeling like a kid in a candy store! This is EYE CANDY at its best, and there’s so much to take in. It’s unforgettable if you’re in the glass biz.”

Sounds like I’ve got a lot to take in, which made me wonder: what is that has made Australia embrace decorative glass more than the United States?

Alexsandra Guinan is a principal with GlassKote USA, a commercial joint venture with GlassKote Australia P/L. She told me that Australians are not afraid to travel the world, look at what others are doing and then come back and put their own spin on a design.

“They are not scared to incorporate new materials. Decorative glass and glass period was an accepted material much earlier in Australia than other parts of the world … Australia has had the tenacity to create new designs with a sense of ‘lets try something really new’ being the overriding principal,” she says.

OK, so now it’s your turn. If you’ve traveled to Australia I want to hear your take on the architectural and decorative glass trends there. If there are places I simply must see, post your comments here and let me know. (I’ll take any restaurant recommendations, too.)