GLASS BLOCKS IN ARCHITECTURE – CLASSIC MATERIAL FOR MODERN USE

From a privacy-conscious home in Japan to a vaulted greenhouse in Chile, this roundup spotlights buildings from around the world that are brightened by luminous glass bricks and blocks.

Popularised in the 1930s, glass bricks and blocks can be found in architecture around the world, typically in the form of facades and windows, but also internally as partitions and screens.

The hollow bricks have gone in and out of style over the past century, but the eight buildings listed below suggest they are regaining popularity, primarily as a way to maximise natural light in a space while also offering a level of privacy.

Glass-block walls can also be used to create playful patterns of light and shadow on an interior throughout the day, and transform buildings into ethereal lantern-like sculptures at night.

Read on for eight buildings bejewelled with glass bricks and blocks:

Optical Glass House, Japan, by Hiroshi Nakamura

This shimmering glass-brick facade encloses a residence on a busy road in Hiroshima. The bricks were used to provide privacy, while also allowing mottled glimpses of life on either side.

Approximately 6,000 bespoke blocks form the two-storey-high wall, which also casts dancing patterns of light on a tree-filled courtyard positioned immediately behind it.

Find out more about Optical Glass House ›

Brest Post Office renovation, France, by Chatillon Architectes

French studio Chatillon Architectes used glass bricks in the extension of this 1950s post office in Brittany, which it converted into flats.

The bricks, which give a modern quality to the building, were paired with concrete details and wooden loggias.

Find out more about the Brest Post Office renovation ›

Casa de Vidrio, Chile, by Max Núñez Arquitectos

Square glass blocks form the pair of vaulted roofs on top of this greenhouse, completed by Max Núñez Arquitectos in a private garden in Chile.

The blocks were chosen as they refract light, helping to create a warm environment for the tropical plants inside while ensuring there is no direct sunlight.

Find out more about Casa de Vidrio ›

Glass Brick House, Belgium, by Delmulle Delmulle Architecten

Delmulle Delmulle Architecten used a glistening glass-brick facade to maximise light within this three-storey home, which is hemmed in by houses on a terraced street in Ghent, limiting space for windows.

“The house is situated on a very challenging plot – extremely small and completely enclosed on all sides,” studio founder Seger Delmulle told Dezeen. “The main challenge was to make the most of the minimal available space and natural light.”

Find out more about Glass Brick House ›

The Glass Fortress. Thailand, by Archismith

The Glass Fortress is the plant-filled entrance pavilion to a sales office in Bangkok, designed by local studio Archismith. Its defining feature is its facade formed of 20,000 rectangular glass bricks.

Archismith chose the glass bricks to “reduce the claustrophobic feeling of the space”, which has eight-metre-high walls designed to block out traffic noise and the unsightly construction work surrounding the site.

Find out more about The Glass Fortress ›

Crystal Houses, the Netherlands, by MVRDV

MVRDV created this townhouse’s partially see-through facade in 2016 from hundreds of glass bricks and a transparent high-strength glue. The building was originally home to a Chanel boutique, but today its tenant is fashion brand Hermès.

The glittering bricks, which merge with the existing terracotta brickwork of the townhouse to create the illusion of a dissolving wall, were used as an alternative to a plain glass shopfront. There are also glass window frames and architraves.

Find out more about Crystal Houses ›

Maryland House, UK, by Remi Connolly-Taylor

At Remi Connolly-Taylor’s self-designed home and studio, a statement red staircase is enclosed within a tower of square glass blocks.

Described by Connolly-Taylor as “a spine to the house”, it is designed to maximise natural light while retaining privacy and maintaining light standards to the adjoining neighbours

Find out more about Maryland House ›

Glass-Block Micro House, Vietnam, by ROOM+ Design & Build

In its renovation of a compact house and shop in Ho Chi Minh City, ROOM+ Design & Build replaced two street-facing walls with translucent glass blocks to enliven the building.

When light glows from within at night, “the house becomes a magically sparkling lantern in the middle of the neighbourhood”, the studio said.