Frameless glass rail with DuPont™ SentryGlas® contributes to the open-air experience at the Aer bar in Mumbai

The structural interlayer, which is used in minimally-framed panels of laminated glass to form a rail around the lounge, provides greater strength, stiffness and post-breakage safety than traditional safety interlayers, whilst its natural clarity enables breath-takings view of Mumbai and its surroundings.

Perched 34 stories up in the air, the Aer bar and lounge is becoming a popular destination for tourists and locals alike. It's the city's highest rooftop bar, commanding spectacular views of the sea and the cityscape below. “You feel as though you have been transported to a different place. All you can see is the sea and the lights of Mumbai spread out like a blanket beneath you,” says Aer bar manager Aditya Ramani.

One of the keys to experiencing the open-air feeling and breathtaking views that the Aer bar offers, is the designer's choice of safety glazing in the balustrade surrounding the lounge. Located at the edge of the rooftop, the glazing creates an almost invisible protective layer between guests and the wow-factor they experience gazing out and onto the city below.

As well as ensuring the safety of the hotel’s guest, the design team wanted to create an unimposing and highly transparent glass wall that virtually disappears from view. For this effect, they chose a frameless design, relying on the strength of the glass itself, to carry wind and impact loads. Laminated safety glass made with SentryGlas® structural interlayer fit the need perfectly.

China Southern Glass laminated the glass balustrade panels, each measuring 1.7 meters by 2.3 meters. The panels are line-supported at their foot. Each laminate consists of two 12-mm glass panes, laminated together using a 3-mm interlayer of SentryGlas®. The glass was installed by Permasteelisa, a multinational specialist in advanced architectural glazing.

SentryGlas® safety interlayer contributes to strength and clarity
Among the advantages of using a SentryGlas® interlayer in minimally framed balustrade laminates is the material's higher stiffness and toughness compared with traditional safety interlayers. Even if a glass panel gets broken, the stiff SentryGlas® interlayer helps keep the self-supported panel in place until it can be replaced. Traditional interlayers are floppy and can cause a glass balustrade to fall over after breaking, which can create a dangerous gap in rooftop protection and a possible hazard below.

SentryGlas® is also exceptionally clear, which helps keep the view more natural and open. And, unlike traditional interlayers, SentryGlas® is more resistant to moisture instrusion at the edges, which helped the Aer bar design avoid any need for metal capping or edge-protecting of the laminates. The panels span clear from edge to edge, and across the top as well, for a perfectly engineered view.

DuPont Glass Laminating Solutions provides materials, services and innovations to makers and specifiers of laminated glass. It helps create a better world by improving home protection and automotive safety, and enabling design of stronger, more energy-efficient buildings that let in more natural light.

DuPont is a science-based products and services company. Founded in 1802, DuPont puts science to work by creating sustainable solutions essential to a better, safer, healthier life for people everywhere. Operating in more than 70 countries, DuPont offers a wide range of innovative products and services for markets including agriculture and food; building and construction; communications; and transportation.

The DuPont Oval, DuPont™ and SentryGlas® are registered trademarks or trademarks of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company or its affiliates.

Editorial Contact:
Birgit Radlinger
Tel.: +49 (0) 61 02/18-2638
Fax: +49 (0) 61 02/18-1318
birgit.radlinger@dupont.com