Glass

**Use of Glass in Architecture in Caracas**  Caracas is a city that has an architectural development a little overdue. However, there are buildings constructed in the middle of the 20th Century that still today reflect a structural beauty in the landscape of this metropolis. Glass is a material that has been typical in different constructions. "Torre Polar" (Plaza Venezuela) from the 50's has been a very famous structure in the country and Latin America, it was compared with Lever House (New York). This building has a construction in laminate glass, mixed with concrete and steel. Its uniqueness is in the natural ventilation that allow glass windows.  As in imperial times, the stained-glass windows are still of the ecclesiastical architecture of Caracas. The Churches "Chiquinquirá" and "Corazón de Jesús" have large religious ornaments made ​​on this type of glass. Some shopping centers in the city are made in combination of opaque glass with brick, as C.C Sambil and San Ignacio. The Public Ministry and Cubo Negro (Chuao) have also this type of glass. The facade of the office building "Parque Cristal" in Chacao is made of strong sheets of mirrors. So, different buildings in Caracas (recreational, religious, political, civic, office and cultural centers) were constructed using glass as an architectural element because it makes a sophisticated and beautiful landscape.

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**Concept: ** Glass is a hard material normally fragil and transparent common in our daily life. It is composed mainly of sand and an alkali. **History: ** The term glass developed in the late Roman Empire.Glessum is a Germanic word for a transparent sustance **Characteristics: ***Solid and hard material*Fragile and easily breakable into sharp pieces*Transparent to visible light*Glass is 100% recycable and one of the safest packaging materials due to its composition and properties.

**Types of Glass: ** *Commercial Glass or Soda-Lime Glass:*Lead Glass