It’s always rewarding for me to figure out a creative solution for a customer’s unique situation. I was presented such a challenge during the renovations of the SLS Hotel completed by the general contractor, Penta, in Las Vegas.
This hotel used to be the old “Sahara,” at the end of the Strip, (emphasis on old and outdated) — but now boasts a beautiful, modern interior design. It features glass and mirrors in off-beat, modern ways, with a heavy emphasis throughout the hotel on mirrors and glass in interesting, bold colors. We had a long list of interior mirrors and glass projects to complete, each of them really unique.
One set of unusual projects we completed involved the showcase window displays, inside the lobby areas to the entry doors. The displays showcase the retail stores inside the hotel, visible from both inside and outside the building, and hotel staff require easy access to switch out what is on display. We completed six of these glass displays in total, and they were noteworthy because of their size and the request to access the showcase interiors with single doors to swing open.
On one of the showcases, the one in the lobby entry to the Paradise street exit, the requested swinging door to the display window was particularly wide, over 6’ tall by 7’ wide (76” x 88”) and weighed approximately 250 pounds. That’s considered a really big and especially wide door for such a showcase. To provide these dimensions meant we designed a special pinned channel to hold the glass, and installed an extra steel bar to support the door’s weight, behind the hinge. The manufacturer, PRL, also needed to apply adequate backing in order to support the door’s weight. In this photo, you can see this particular display case, as well as the red ceiling mirror we installed.
The frame surrounding the display is brushed stainless steel on the exterior, polished stainless steel on the inside of the lobby, with tilted, welded mitered corners. The stainless steel frame was made and installed by American Metals.
For the average person walking by the display, his or her attention is probably focused on the product being featured inside the showcase. That is the desired goal of such a window. For me, however, I smile and think about what went into creating that display, and am proud to know that we were able to come up with a unique and innovative solution to an unusual request. . . one of many in this especially imaginative hotel.
by Jessica Castillo, Project Manager at Giroux Glass, Inc.
Jessica has been a partner at Giroux Glass since 2007, offering us and our customers her expertise gained from over 20 years of industry experience. She welcomes your comments at [email protected].