A new prefab glass panel system creates dramatic effects when seamed together. photo: jeffrey green photography
When David Rockwell of the Rockwell Group, known for jaw-dropping interiors at casinos and hotels, turned his attention to the bar area of the trendy Las Vegas restaurant and lounge, Simon at Palms Place, he used a fused glass system offered by Nathan Allan Glass Studios, Inc. to quickly achieve a dramatic effect in a range of profiles. Called “Stax,” the glass panels can be joined to create a continuous wall and a powerful luminous design element to the high-ceilinged interior environment.
The bar at Simons, a Las Vegas celebrity hangout. photo: jeffrey green photogaphy
A well-known celebrity hot spot, Simon overlooks a the Vegas strip and Spring Mountains. At Simon, panels of Stax glass are seamed together to form a continuous façade along
the front of the lounge bar. The distinctive ambiance of the Stax, Beamz pattern is enhanced with color and mirror. Barry Allan, the director of Nathan Allan Studios tells the GLASS Quarterly Hot Sheet that “the amber color is from a finish we applied to the back of the clear Stax Glass. The mirror helps to highlight the Amber color.” The front face of the pattern ripples from 1-inch to 1 1/2-inches thick, to create a dazzling effect from layers of individually fused 3-foot-by-3-foot square panels over a 30-foot run.
New patterns of Beamz Radius and Flex Radius add yet another dimension of the fused glass look in a curved glass product. When asked what the market response to Stax Radius has been, Nathan pointed to the many orders from the Middle East, where design continues to push relentlessly forward and architects seek aggressive, design-forward solutions. Stax patterns currently available include Beamz (straight planks), Beamz Radius (curved), Breez (gentle rises), Flex (twisting fluidity), and Flex Radius (curved).
If you can’t get to Las Vegas and the Simon for a close-up look at Stax, you can catch the Nathan Allan Studios crew at the Healthcare Design Conference coming up from November 13th to the 16th in Nashville.
—Patricia Linthicum
Guest blogger Patricia Linthicum writes Looking At Glass, a blog that focuses on the use of glass in interior design and architecture.