At first glance it seems only to provide enclosed space between two buildings in Costa Mesa, Calif., but the 3,600-sq.-ft. glass enclosure that connects the 17-story Imperial Bank Tower building with its neighbor-a one-story retail complex-was specifically designed to act as a seismic joint.
The glazing is point-supported by four-pronged, stainless-steel sliding "spider fittings" that work in conjunction with a system of stainless-steel cable trusses and aluminum purlins to allow the vault to move more than 6 inches within a 30-ft. span-theoretically without breaking any of the structure's 96 glass panels.
The low-iron glass panels were treated with a custom silk-screened pattern and a low-emissivity coating for solar control. The enclosure was designed by Chicago-based Murphy/Jahn Inc. Architects and engineered by Marina del Rey, Calif.-based ASI Advanced Structures Inc.