Jurassic World – The Ride, Universal Studios
Working on a glazing project at Universal Studios, Giroux Glass had the privilege of installing the largest lites of glass we have ever overseen. We’re certain that at that time, (late 2018-early 2019), they were the largest pieces of “jumbo glass” 1 ever to have been used in any US construction project.
The glass required for the project was a collection of eight unique and enormous lites of glass, in dimensions that increased progressively in size from about 8 ft. x 28 ft., to the largest, which measured 12 ft. x 37 ft. As a shipment, the lites weighed over four tons, a massive 8,600 lbs. in total.
The first challenge of many was to get them manufactured and onto US soil. Their voyage started in China, where they were made at Luoyang NorthGlass, a manufacturer that specializes in oversized lites of glass. Members from our team traveled to inspect the glass to be sure that they correctly met our specs and were free of defects. We could not risk waiting the long time for them to arrive via ocean freight, to our job site, only to discover issues then that would cause us to repeat the process. Our deadlines did not allow for required materials making that long trip twice.
Our inspections went smoothly, and the glass lites began their months-long journey, enclosed in custom-made shipping crates, across the ocean to our local ports. Upon arrival, they were transported in specially modified trucks to the job site in Hollywood.
During the months while production and shipping took place, we completed mock-ups: the “trial” installation of a smaller scale, three-dimensional version of the design, to evaluate techniques. The process allowed the team to envision the finished product, determine how it should be built, and to identify any potential issues before the actual construction begins.
This exciting project posed one challenge after another, and our expert glaziers overcame each one to successfully complete the project in time for the ride’s grand opening in July 2019.
1 “Jumbo glass” is defined as any singular glass lite that measures more than 75 sq. ft., or for insulated glass, 50 sq. ft.