The Gensler architectural firm façade was our focus on a recent June-gloomy Saturday morning. Commonwealth Partners called us in to replace one broken panel of glass — one very large broken panel — that measured over 7 feet x 25 feet, and weighed 1,245 pounds. It’s not the first time that the Service team from Giroux Glass has worked on what’s known as Gensler’s “Jewel Box,” right in the heart of downtown Los Angeles.
The over-sized window consisted of ½” clear tempered glass, and was manufactured in, then shipped from China, through Glass 3 Enterprises Limited, of British Columbia, Canada. Its large size was the reason for its overseas production, and also meant that the broken piece of glass had to wait a few months for its replacement, temporarily marring the firm’s well-known front feature.
Thanks to a small clear area in front of the building, the streets did not have to be closed off to traffic to complete the installation. It took a team of seven glaziers to successfully lift out and remove the original broken lite, and with the help of a spider crane, set and replace the new one.
The project may well have caused passersby to stop and watch the intricate process, but it’s just another typical day of glass repair work for these talented glaziers. My thanks to the team who accomplished this so smoothly: kudos to Ruben, Mike, Fernie, Derek, Hugo, Christian and Cesar. Thanks for spending your Saturday making this façade look like new again!
