Stylish Welcome Area, London, England

Project Story

When clients arrive at the London office of this worldwide financial services provider, they are welcomed in style as they enter a sleek and spacious waiting area prior to meetings. This light and inviting space features a Smart Glass wall and smooth, sliding door entry, with a stylish crittal-effect design that reflects the company’s high-value ethos and expertise.

Located in the heart of London, the offices are owned by a prominent provider of asset services, including private equity and hedge fund administration. Naturally, the company wanted to create an imposing first impression for clients arriving at its UK-based EMEA headquarters, as well as providing instant privacy for guests where appropriate.

To meet this brief, it turned to Smartglass International to help create a welcoming space with “wow” factor.

Working with a partitioning specialist, Smartglass was commissioned to create a design focused space that provided both privacy and elegance. The resulting room uses Smart Glass technology to full effect to create a stunning partition wall, divided into sophisticated crittal-effect panes, each capable of transitioning from transparent to opaque in under 0.1 seconds.

With its strong geometric lines, the crittal-effect design adds drama and interest to this impressive space, however it also brings technical challenges, which Smartglass were happy to address. Panes had to be individually installed, with each panel wired to provide instant opacity when supplied with a low-level electrical current. Not only did Smartglass work to integrate a sliding door into this stunning design, they also connected each pane so that all panels transition simultaneously for flawless performance at the flick of a switch.

The resulting partition wall utilises approximately 15m² of switchable privacy glass to create a spacious yet dynamic ambience. In its transparent state, the glass allows natural light to flood the room from adjacent spaces. Once activated however, the wall provides discrete opacity, for instant privacy during meetings.

This reliable and indispensable functionality makes Smart Glass ideal for high-class commercial spaces where compromising on design is not an option.

As this project aptly illustrates, Smartglass always aims to combine creativity with consistent operation as they fulfil clients’ design requests. A hands-on approach helps overcome any technical and architectural challenges and the company is always happy to offer professional advice on achieving and exceeding client aspirations. With a superior product and quick turn-around, backed by competitive pricing, our responsive approach makes Smartglass an internationally renowned leader in switchable glass technology.

To find out more about using Smart Glass in crittal-effect installations or to discover how Smart Glass technology could transform your next development, contact Smartglass International today for a tailored quotation.