Sky Las Vegas

Few American landmarks are as iconic as the Las Vegas Strip, so when Klai Juba Architects had the opportunity to design a high-rise condo over the jeweled thoroughfare, capitalizing on the local sights was a fundamental objective. Of course, managing the impact of the blazing Nevada sun on the building and its occupants was another. A combination of architectural glass products from Vitro Architectural Glass (formerly PPG Glass) helped the firm do both.

As one of the first high-rise luxury residential buildings on Las Vegas Boulevard, Sky Las Vegas is set apart by its enviable location as well as its striking blue-glass exterior. Steve Peck, project architect and an associate at Klai Juba, said making glass a signature element of the building’s design was an easy choice.

“This was a special 3-acre site directly on Las Vegas Boulevard, and our goal was to maximize views from every angle of the building,” he said. “We were looking to incorporate as much glass as possible into our design so that discriminating buyers would have their own personal window to the views.”

Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope helped Peck and his team select the right glass for the 500-foot tower. Ultimately, the group decided on a mix of architectural glasses, including 92,000 square-feet of Vistacool^® Azuria^® glass and 87,000 square-feet of blue-tinted glass over clear Solarban^® 60 solar control, low-e glass.

Vistacool^® Azuria^® glass was chosen for Sky Las Vegas because it features a proprietary, color-enriched coating that subtly reflects Azuria® glass’s stunning aqua-blue blue tint. Despite the richness of its color, Vistacool^® Azuria^® glass delivers visible light transmittance (VLT) of 38 percent, together with an exceptional solar heat gain coefficient (SHGC) of 0.24 in a 1-inch insulating glass unit. By transmitting almost 40 percent of the sun’s light and blocking 76 percent of its heat energy, Vistacool^® Azuria^® glass not only enhances the comfort of the building’s inhabitants but lowers their overall air-conditioning and lighting costs.

Solarban^® 60 glass, another Vitro product, also was specified for its clear look and energy performance. When paired with a blue tint in 1-inch insulating glass unit, Solarban^® 60 glass can transmit up to 54 percent of available sunlight. The combination also blocks almost 80 percent of the sun’s heat energy. The resulting light to solar gain (LSG) ratio of more than 1.90 is among the best in the glass industry.

While the performance of Vistacool^® Azuria^® and Solarban^® 60 glass were critical to the success of Sky Las Vegas, people apparently appreciate their good looks, too.Representatives from Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope say they have received a lot of calls about duplicating the glass color for other projects.

Founded in 1995, Klai Juba is recognized as one the premier designers of resort and gaming facilities in the country. In addition to Sky Las Vegas, the firm was the principal architect for Mandalay Bay and the Luxor Twin Tower, as well as Hard Rock resorts in Las Vegas, Tampa, and Hollywood, Fla.

Oldcastle BuildingEnvelope (formerly Oldcastle Glass) is a leading supplier of products specified to close the building envelope, including custom-engineered curtain walls and window walls, architectural windows, storefront systems, doors, skylights, and architectural glass.