MVRDV | Crystal Houses: A Historic Facade Built with Glass Bricks

MVRDV | Crystal Houses: Historic Facade Built with Glass Bricks
Using solid glass bricks and transparent structural adhesive, meticulously construct the complete outline of the original brick townhouse facade, brick by brick—window frames, moldings, arches, and proportions all rebuilt exactly as they were, only the material changes from red brick to glass. The street level and second floor are entirely transparent glass bricks, and moving upwards, the glass bricks gradually transition back to true red bricks, with a gradient junction between the two in the middle section. The result is a building that looks familiar yet completely unreal: historical forms are preserved, but the material weight is evacuated. The thickness of the glass bricks refracts light, presenting a pale green hue. Frontal eye-level shot during the day, clearly showing the gradient junction between glass and brick.
Avoid: replacing glass brick sections with flat glass, outlines not conforming to the original facade, abrupt top-bottom junctions, adding signs.

Translated from Chinese by AI.

以實心玻璃磚與透明結構膠,一塊一塊砌出原本磚造街屋立面的完整輪廓——窗框、線腳、拱與比例全部依照原樣重建,只是材料從紅磚換成玻璃。街層與二樓為完全透明的玻璃磚,越往上玻璃磚逐漸過渡回真正的紅磚,兩者在中段以漸變的方式交接。結果是一棟看起來熟悉卻完全不真實的建築:歷史的形式被保留,材料的重量被抽空。玻璃磚的厚度讓光在其中折射,呈現淡綠色。日間正面平視拍攝,玻璃與磚的漸變交接清楚。避免:玻璃磚部分改為平板玻璃、輪廓不依原立面、上下交接生硬、加設招牌。