Bendheim Gradient Glass enhances the shopping experience at Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbor
More than 3,000 square meters of Fade® Architectural Glass illuminate the multi-storey designer shop in the shopping mecca
Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbor, Miami, FL from NELSON Worldwide. Photo courtesy Miller Glass & Glazing.
Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbor, Miami, FL from NELSON Worldwide. Photo courtesy Miller Glass & Glazing.
Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbor, Miami, FL from NELSON Worldwide. Photo courtesy Miller Glass & Glazing.
Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbor, Miami, FL from NELSON Worldwide. Photo courtesy Miller Glass & Glazing.
NEW YORK, NY, November 02, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – Architects worked with Bendheim to develop a range of gradient glass options for a renovation at Miami’s Saks Fifth Avenue Bal Harbor. Through targeted variations of the glass colors and translucency, different areas were defined and various functions fulfilled throughout the room – from the blush Fade® mirror cladding in the cosmetics department to luminous prismatic glass surrounds for escalators and product backgrounds.
More than 3,000 square meters of bespoke Bendheim fade glass were included in the two-year renovation, which spanned three floors. Cincinnati-based NELSON Worldwide, formerly FRCH Nelson, partnered with New York-based HVC Global Design on the project. The focus of the renovation was the modernization of the shopping experience in the store, which has been part of Bal Harbor Shops since 1976. The open-air shopping destination is home to more than 100 of the world’s most famous and luxurious fashion and jewelry brands. It is one of the top-selling shopping centers in the world.
The architects chose laminated glass with tailor-made color interlayers that gently merge into the color shade over the entire height of the glass. According to Natalia Naleeva from Bendheim, the aim was to create a morning sky on one level, an afternoon sky on another and finally an evening sky for the last level.
“You can’t see where one color starts and the other ends,†says Naleeva, who worked with the architects and design team at Saks on developing the glass. “It’s a very subtle transition. The hardest part was getting the right color intensity. It had to be really subtle and delicate. “
Most of the panels in the project are 16 inches wide and 143 inches high. The glass was made by Bendheim, New Jersey and installed on site by Miller Glass & Glazing of Pompano Beach. Bendheim’s sales, sample and production teams worked closely with the architectural team to create the various gradient graphics required.
“We also had to be very careful when making the glass,†said Naleeva. “The intermediate layers are made of a sensitive material that can neither be packaged nor placed on an uneven surface. We had to be careful with them. “
Bendheim’s decorative laminated glass can have a variety of interlayers, including graphic prints, color filters, metals, textiles, wood veneers and more. The glass offers a high degree of design freedom and enables almost unlimited aesthetics for a variety of applications, from hotels and cultural buildings to medical centers.
“The design of this application is nice, but there are also clear functional advantages,” said Naleeva. “Although the glass is relatively clear, it adds some extra privacy in the escalator area. At the same time it lets the light into the room and gives it a colorful note. “
“The Saks Fifth Avenue project demonstrates our commitment to design excellence and our collaborative team spirit,” said Ben Jayson, President of Bendheim. “With innovative thinking and improved technology, we continue to push the limits to help architects meet their project requirements.”
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CONTACT: Thomas Renner Catalyst Marketing Communications 203-348-7541 trenner@catalystmc.com
