Eye-Catching New Library Revitalizes London Suburb

Laminated glass made with Solutia's COLOR Advanced Laminate System Creates Striking, Award-Winning Library

When most people think of libraries, they typically visualize a daunting and uninspiring institution. That is, until they have visited Peckham Library and Media Center, a bold, new library located in the southeast London suburb of Peckham. The striking new library which uses laminated glass made with Solutia's COLOR advanced interlayer system to create a stunning kaleidoscopic wall of clear and colored glass, has been labeled a "fabulous creation," "one delight after another" and a "symbol of renewal."

Solutia's COLOR advanced laminate system is produced with Solutia's plastic interlayer, a tough, resilient polyvinyl butyral (PVB) used in laminated glass. Solutia's COLOR system is part of Solutia's new family of advanced laminate systems for glass. This exciting new family encompasses a range of product offerings as well as many different technologies.

The Peckham Library and Media Center is part of a major renewal program for the area. Innovative architectural firm Alsop & Stormer was selected for the $7.2 million project because of its bold, streetwise design philosophy. Southwark Education and Leisure Services commissioned the building and asked Alsop & Stormer to "create a building of architectural merit that would bring prestige to the borough and a welcome psychological boost to the area." The library has surpassed expectations, receiving tremendous praise and awards from the community.

The use of laminated glass made with Solutia's COLOR system for the cladding and the building's inverted L shape makes Peckham library a dramatic addition to the skyline. The north side of the five-story, 24,750-square-foot library is glazed with varying sizes of clear and colored laminated glass made with Solutia's advanced laminates. Swatches and vertical lines of yellow, orange, green and red create a curtain wall of shimmering, vibrant glass. The east and west sides are clad in pre-patinated copper with green and blue glazing. A perimeter skylight creates an ambience of light and openness across the library floor. The skylight and careful arrangement of window openings contribute to creating an inviting environment.

Solutia's unique COLOR advanced laminate system used throughout the building is made with heat and light-stable pigments to produce more intense and long lasting colors. Solutia's COLOR laminate system consists of eight, transparent colored polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayers that can be used alone or combined to a maximum of four layers to produce more than 600 translucent colors. Peckham Library and Media Center won the United Kingdom's Stirling Prize for Building of the Year 2000. The Stirling Prize is the UK's most prestigious architectural prize and is awarded annually to the architects of the European building which has made the greatest contribution to British Architecture. In presenting the award, Marco Goldschmied, president of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) described Peckham Library as "an innovative and exciting piece on architecture - a building to make you smile: more architecture should do that."

"It has been very exciting being involved in the Peckham Library project," said Pamela McEwen of Solutia. "Ten years ago it would not have been possible to produce a building using glass in this way, but due to advancements in technology, the architects were able to create a building spectacular in design through the application of laminated colored glass. I think we will be seeing more adventurous and flexible uses of multi-variable colored glass in the future."

In addition to achieving the aesthetic demands of the project, laminated glass made with Solutia's COLOR interlayer system also provides the library with enhanced safety and security, as well as sound and solar control. Laminated glass made with Solutia's COLOR system is highly effective in reducing unwanted noise. The plastic interlayer in laminated glass dampens the vibration of the glass, thus reducing transmitted sound. Additionally, laminated glass reduces solar energy transmittance, controls glare and screens our 99 percent of harmful UV rays.

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