Glazed elements provide "calm atmosphere"

17:06:20 18th June 2008

A London dance studio has acquired a "naturally calm atmosphere" thanks to a new light-diffusing glazed roof.

The canopy of the £2.25 million Siobhan Davies Dance Company was designed to make it appear as though the studio was directly beneath the sky, reports wnibi.com.

Sarah Wigglesworth Architects (SWA) designed the structure, which was then produced by Design & Display.

The concaved roof incorporates vertical roof lights with OkaluxTM light diffusing glass to bring in a "soft, reflective light".

A blue outer finish and Pilkington SuncoolTM Low E glass help create a sky-like effect with less solar gain.

SWA said Design & Display had given "a range of imaginative technical solutions", the website reported.

Meanwhile, a new £30 million development for chocolate manufacturer Cadbury's boasts floor to ceiling windows, the Birmingham Post reports.

Bournville Place's vast windows give the "arresting sense of being simultaneously indoors and outdoors".

Glass artist Eryka Issak, one of four artists commissioned to create works for the building, told the paper she had originally planned to make "a river of chocolate out of glass, using the metallic colours you see in Roses chocolates."

She later found that chocolate in machines did not create ripples.