"The history of architecture is the history of the struggle for light"
—Le Corbusier
Le Corbusier’s observation remains deeply relevant in today’s architectural world. As cities grow denser and buildings reach higher, light becomes more precious, and the materials that welcome it become more essential. Among these, glass has emerged not only as a functional solution but also as a creative medium for expression. With advances in technology and a collaborative spirit between artists and architects, glass is now used to shape space, mood, and meaning.
Contemporary artists are embracing architectural glass in dynamic new ways—adding depth, color, and narrative to façades, lobbies, courtrooms, and hotels. The following five projects showcased in the CODAworx project library exemplify this evolving relationship between glass, light, and human experience.
1. Lowell Justice Center, Boston, Massachussets
British artist Martin Donlin’s contribution to the Lowell Justice Center in Boston transforms the public lobby into a powerful symbol of civic transparency and inclusion. Composed of 22 panels of glass spanning five stories, the installation features layered texts and images, quotes from historical figures, abstracted human forms, and motifs representing the legal system. Donlin’s work uses light as a metaphor for justice, allowing the building’s purpose to shine through its very walls.
2. Air/Traffic/Control, Nashville, Tennessee
Commissioned for each of the 6 elevator lobbies at the Nashville International Airport’s new Ground Transportation Center and Terminal Parking Garage in Nashville, TN, the BNA project was inspired by the complexity and mechanisms of the traveler’s journey. Taking inspiration from flight patterns, data, cartography, movement, and sound wave forms, Depeña created an original artwork using light and glass to transform the typical column into a dynamic, responsive, and interactive experience for the airport traveler.
3. Sky Cycles, Fremont, California
Installed as the entryway to the vast Warm Springs BART Station, Sky Cycles is a glass rotunda 60’ in diameter and two 300’ glass walls on either side of the platforms. On the rotunda, images of the sky throughout the day are sliced in alternating strips with a silver coating, reflecting the actual sky, creating a rich visual hybrid. The walls along the platform are photographs of landscapes and seascapes taken during different seasons over the years. These natural elements, suspended in transparent planes, are illuminated by California’s abundant sunlight.
4. Zonar Hotel, Zagreb, Croatia
In the Zonar Hotel’s recent transformation, Bokart d.o.o. incorporated bespoke glass panels to elevate the hospitality experience. Throughout the public areas and guest spaces, their installation introduces subtle gradients of color and shifting translucency, creating a sophisticated, almost dreamlike atmosphere. The glass features evoke sunrise and twilight tones, seamlessly blending with the hotel’s contemporary aesthetic.
5. Wave of Knowledge, Elyria, OH
Shan Shan Sheng’s Wave of Knowledge creates a poetic, light-filled entryway at the threshold of the Richard Desich SMART Centers for Microtechnology, a state-of-the-art facility devoted to the exploration of design, technology, and innovation at Lorain County Community College. Sheng first created an original oil painting, then collaborated with German glassmaker Peters Studio to transfer the painting onto the windows of the glass bridge. The work casts fluid patterns of color and light throughout the day and changes as the sun moves, creating a kinetic, immersive experience for students and faculty.
A Bright Future for Glass in Architecture
What unites these diverse projects is a deep sensitivity to context—each work of glass art not only illuminates but enhances its environment. Whether creating a sense of welcome in a courthouse or layering meaning in an airport terminal, glass enables both openness and intimacy. It is a material of contradiction: solid and fragile, clear and colorful, reflective and invisible. Thanks to the ingenuity of today’s artists and fabricators, glass has become one of the most powerful tools in the public artist’s repertoire.
Do you have news, stories, or projects to share? We’d love to hear from you—reach out to editor@codaworks.com.
