Designed as a space for innovation by a large glass manufacturer, outside the city center of Stuttgart, Germany, the building celebrates not just the material itself but the progress and possibilities it represents. The architecture of the façade is deliberately rudimentary in its use of stone, concrete, and steel—a stacked system that acts as a platform to showcase the cutting-edge capabilities of glass in new and dynamic ways. The large glass bubbles, which dominate the exterior, serve as more than just windows; they demonstrate the flexibility, curvature, and technological triumphs achieved in contemporary glass production.

The structure evokes a blend of historical and industrial languages, fusing the formal elegance of a palazzo with the raw functionality of a factory, reminiscent of the paradoxes Schinkel managed to resolve, balancing neoclassicism and modernity two centuries prior. The glass panels themselves form a tripartite system of expression, each one reflecting the surrounding garden with unique distortions and details. These bubbles become organic, mirroring the flora around them in a way that recalls the decorative entablatures and capitals of classical architecture. However, here the ornamentation is reimagined through the lens of 21st-century innovation, where the infill panel—traditionally a secondary element—becomes the spectacle.

Inside, the pavilion’s interior echoes the exterior’s innovation, with vaulted structural slabs crafted from the same molds used to create the glass facade. These structural slabs, derived from ornamental forms, seamlessly merge form and function, making the ornamentation an integral part of the building’s structural integrity. The central atrium, an open and airy space, serves as the pavilion’s heart, connecting all the surrounding rooms and spaces. This atrium is more than just a physical connector—it allows for the flow of ideas and communication within the space, enhancing the pavilion’s role as a hub for innovation and collaboration. The architectural layout, combined with the advanced materials and design, exemplifies precision, efficiency, and technological progress, creating a space where the past, present, and future of glass manufacturing converge.