Custom Stained-Glass Structures for a Children’s Café
Kostanay, Kazakhstan
Year: 2018
Context
As part of the interior and façade development of a children’s café in Kostanay, the client commissioned the design of bespoke large-format stained-glass structures.
The project required the creation of non-standard structural glazing systems made of glued laminated timber, incorporating CNC-milled components with complex geometries. The stained-glass assemblies were conceived not merely as façade elements, but as architectural installations forming a key visual identity of the space.
Design Approach
The principal requirement was to create wide-format, light-transmitting “crystalline” glazing structures with integrated video panels installed at the center of each composition.
The client’s brief emphasized:
- Minimizing the visible width of structural profiles
- Achieving maximum transparency
- Integrating digital media elements into the glazing system
- Expressive geometric articulation
To meet these requirements, a spatial structural system made of glued laminated timber was developed. The timber members were CNC-machined with high precision, forming complex three-dimensional geometries and integrated grooves for structural insulated glass units.
The solution allowed the glazing to appear frameless while maintaining structural stability and material expressiveness.
Structural System
- Primary material: glued laminated timber
- Geometry: variable cross-section members
- Fabrication: CNC-milled components with complex spatial geometry
- Glazing system: structurally installed insulated glass units integrated into pre-designed grooves
The variable cross-section of the timber elements optimized structural performance while reducing visual mass, allowing the façade to read as a series of luminous crystalline forms.
Architectural Expression
The stained-glass structures function simultaneously as:
The integration of video panels into the central zones of the glazing compositions transforms the façade into a dynamic interface between interior activity and the urban environment.