Donald Trump’s properties around the world are known for their dramatic, ultra-luxurious design. Recently, his design team tackled the challenge of creating a new Trump Tower that would stand out amidst the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas. Their solution: gold-coated glass fabricated by Viracon, the country鈥檚 leading single-source architectural glass fabricator.
“Architects were looking for a way to make the new Trump International Hotel and Tower Las Vegas shine. They wanted the exterior glass to reflect the brilliant, luxurious interiors,” says Garret Henson, director of western region sales at Viracon. “The gold coating did just that.”
The gold glass coating is actually 24 carat gold. Viracon applied an optically thin layer of that gold to the second surface of the insulating glass units which enclose the 45-story tower.
Although gold coatings tend to be selected for their dramatic aesthetics, the metal also gives the glass enhanced performance characteristics. Because the coating is highly reflective, it reduces solar heat absorption and significantly enhances the glazing units鈥� energy performance. The high reflectivity also lowers the light transmission from outdoors-in, which reduces interior glare for building occupants.
In the end, the gold coating achieved its desired effect. The Trump Hotel Las Vegas recently opened, and it is sparkling over the Strip. “You can definitely see it from anywhere in Vegas,鈥� says Henson.
In addition to completing the Trump Las Vegas, Viracon is currently supplying glass for the new Trump International Hotel and Tower Chicago, another example of brilliant design and workmanship the public has come to expect of Trump.