When you think about all of the places where decorative glass can be used, the outside of a building

Goldray Industries provided colorful spandrel glass for the Alberta Children

probably isn’t the first thing to come to mind. Instead, you are more likely to envision room dividers and walls, even flooring and staircases; maybe a decorative sculpture or art piece. But with all the possibilities on the market, using decorative glass in a building façade, just like in a hotel lobby, can also create a statement.

Remember how I wrote about the decorative features of the Shanghai Tower last week? The building has a decorative quality just by the nature of the way the glass was designed for the structure. But even without intricate designs and construction details, you can still use glass in a more traditional application and make an impact.

OK, so the likelihood that a candy-apple red skyscraper will join Chicago’s or New York’s skyline any time soon is slim. However, it might not be surprising to walk down one of those busy streets and find colorful glass being used to welcome people into the building; perhaps instead of brick or stone you see that glass is the surrounding feature. After all, it would make a statement and it would grab your attention.

Aside from color, imagery can also be applied to glass for use in exterior applications. Technologies are out there that will allow you to print anything and everything onto glass (remember the Barbie store in Shanghai?). In addition to printing on the glass there are also technologies that allow you to print directly onto an interlayer material for use in laminated glass, so in addition to the aesthetics of the artwork, you also get all of the benefits of working with a laminated safety glass.

While some of these printing trends may still be in their infancy, I expect to see the trend toward digital printing grow more and more in North America. All it takes is a few people willing to push the limits a little here and there.