Dow Corning structural glazing sealant used for monumental glass sculpture

The 2017 Art Biennale in Venice recently saw the reveal of a monumental glass brick sculpture, Qwalala, featuring Dow Corning silicone structural glazing sealant.

The art sculpture, by American artist Pae White, made its debut on May 11^th at LE STANZE DEL VETRO, Fondazione Giorgio Cini, on the Island of San Giorgio Maggiore coinciding with the 57^th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia.

Dow High Performance Building supported the sculpture, enabled by a proven silicone structural glazing sealant and technical support from Dow Corning Europe S.A.

Qwalala is a 75-meter-long, 2.4-meter-high serpentine wall created from thousands of unique hand-cast glass bricks. The wall’s ever-shifting play of light recalls the way the colour and temperature of the water changes minute by minute as it flows to the sea. The structure is supported by a steel base and held together entirely by Dow Corning 993 Structural Glazing Sealant.

German engineering firm schlaic bergermann partner carefully calculated the geometry and stresses of the sculpture and researched multiple options for glues and sealants. Dow Corning 993 Structural Glazing Sealant was identified as the product that best fits the specific project requirements.

Davide Bianchi, Dow High Performance Building Solutions business developed for Italy comments: “Dow Corning 993 Structural Glazing Sealant’s white colour, mechanical strength and cure speed made it the ideal sealing and bonding choice to help Pae White achieve her artistic vision.”

The Structural Glazing Sealant is a two-part silicone sealant with proven structural capabilities. The sealant meets the requirements of European Technical Approval Guideline 002 (ETAG 002-1. Additionally, recent projected durability testing by the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing in Germany predicts a potential service life of 50 years.

Dow also provided product selection advice, technical support and application calculations. The Dow team also recommended a contractor with the equipment and experience required to do the on-site bonding.