Structural Glass PROs and CONs
Glass advantages
✓ Great aesthetics
✓ Envelops the building
✓ Nice compartimentat walls solution (shops, showrooms etc.)
✓ Generates spacious and harmonious environment
✓ Any structural element can be created (beams, columns, floors, walls etc.)
✓ Absorbs, reflects, refracts and transmits light
✓ Easy to polish
✓ Can be blown, laminated and pressed
✓ Has no degradation from atmosferic air
✓ Available in many colors
✓ With special treatment it can exceed steel tensile strength
✓ Electric izolator
✓ Thermal izolator
✓ Good chemical strength (most laboratory flasks are made of glass)
✓ Easy to clean
✓ Lightweight material with a good strength to weight ratio
Glass disadvantages
X Expensive material
X Non-ductile behavior
X Security costs will rise
X High maintenance costs
X Semic vulnerability
X Vandalism vulnerability
X Strict execution measures
X Requires glass expertise
X Complex analysis (Non-liniar large displacement analysis)
X Requires specialized design software
But then again, relaxing in something like this is worth the investment.