The Pearl Innovation District
Installer: Harmon Inc
Americas
In Progress · 2025
Feature lobby facade · VS1 30' wall with exterior mullions, all-glass corners
VS1 was selected for a feature facade on one of the new Pearl Innovation District buildings in Charlotte, NC. The Howard R. Levine Center for Education will welcome visitors with a 30’ VS1 facade on four elevations. Exterior mullions create strong vertical accents while the all-glass corners, a standard VS1 detail, contribute to the high transparency of the facade. Two of the corners are very obtuse at 135°, which, using VS1, can be done without the need for additional mullions or framing. Along one elevation, the facade varies in height as the sill condition slopes upwards with the concrete wall above. Finally, compression struts are used for lateral bracing to keep the vertical-only mullions slender.
Entry vestibule walls are managed with 8” VS1 mullions on the interior and exterior. At the glass corners, 1”x1” aluminum tubes, rather than rods, are utilized to minimize material visibility at the high-traffic entrance.
Renderings courtesy of Ayers Saint Gross & CO Architects