AGP eGLASS

AGP eGlass Factory & Offices. Lima, 2015 This new facility will supply the largest windscreen ever produced for a passenger car in the history of the automobile. Over 1 hectare of industrial space and offices have been used to accommodate the installations. Located in Lima’s center industrial area, the project negotiates a neutral façade with a pristine interior space. Going thru an all wrapped black carpet entry corridor, the ceiling height shrinks to have a buffer space between the street and the lobby, then the funnel shaped space opens up towards a vertical triple height cylindrical space that is wrapped in LED back lit 6m U glass. The white walls, floor and ceiling polarize the dark entry funnel. The reception desk is made of raw glass that have been built like a flat brick wall. The cylinder is disrupted by a cantilevered glass prism that hovers over the entry, this space is the board room, after walking up the glass stairs atypically this is the first space you encounter, it’s enclosed with switch glass and usually the board room is not used in privacy mode so it works great with the idea that the offices always have a visual connection to the production line. The showroom is enclosed by three black glass walls and atmospheric music is activated when someone walks in. The office area works as a big open space with open meeting rooms. The manager’s offices, kitchenettes, meeting rooms witch are coded with lemon colored glass and services cladded in oak wood are located between the open office and the industrial area. The offices and meeting rooms are all enclosed with glass, acoustic ceilings and carpets were used to optimize the acoustics in these spaces. An inner glass façade reinforces the visual connection between offices and industry line. All the first floor have a light blue tinted glass and all the glass above is white and ultra-clear glass. The stairs act like a palate cleanser being low lit and black painted spaces, the yellow handrail hints a highway line; the lighting is located underneath. On the first floor from the lobby a white lit corridor with epoxy white floor frames the entrance to meeting rooms, labs, testing rooms and R&D spaces. The dining area acts as a hub for the offices, labs and operators/engineers changing rooms, connecting the back entrance of the facilities. The production offices hovers over the production line having a clear view of most of the areas; attached to this structure a glass floor bridge cantilevers from the corner as a lookout spot. AGP produces glass for car windshield, cleanness is crucial. The white epoxy floor and black out tensile textile for walls and ceiling reinforce this idea for the engineers and operators. The lighting and ventilations are joined together in one slot on the ceiling to minimize the visual noise. The production line is a dry non chemical process and have to be held in a hermetic area, this allowed the use of materials that traditionally wouldn’t be used in such an industrial space. The south façade have a double insulated U glass channels to bring light but protect from the heat of the summer sun exposure. The rest of the façade is cladded in silver aluminium panels, the base of the volume is painted dark gray and takes advantage of the sloped sidewalk to emphasize the main entry without a bigger gesture. The project adapted to the existing structure which was a space that was used as a storage facility, the objective was to save as much as possible of the existing steel roof structure with its exterior cover. Also the office space originally was a double height storage area build with concrete and brick structure. The client wanted state of the art installations to build trust with their clients, mostly USA and European auto makers. The brief of the project was to have a space that would inspire the people that works there, to encourage the operators and engineers to work as clean as possible and a stimulating office space that maximize the transparency and visibility towards the industrial line.