The new luxury hotel resort, Secrets the Vine, in Cancun, Mexico wanted a modern, cutting edge design; but had to accommodate to the building requirements of the region which has a high risk for hurricanes. When it came to selecting a suitable glazing solution, the hotel developer, Frel Ingenieros y Arquitectos de Mexico, wanted protection for the building and its occupants without awkward, cumbersome-looking hurricane screens, which would not complement the hotel’s modern, clean, transparent aesthetics.
Challenge
In the hurricane-prone region, the challenge was to create a modern and clean aesthetic, while adhering to the region's building requirements in terms of protection for the building and its occupants. The ability to achieve the design intention relied heavily on the glazing solution for which, the designers chose a solution provided by Kuraray.
Solution
SentryGlas® high-performance laminated glazing with an ionoplast interlayer was specified with the laminated safety glass as it ensured maximum protection from hurricanes, while also maintaining a high quality, modern and transparent look and feel. Its properties include high impact protection, excellent post glass breakage performance and superior edge stability in high humidity conditions.
Usage
In total, 20,000 m2 (215,000 sq. feet) of Kuraray's laminated safety SentryGlas® was installed throughout the hotel. Of this, 15,000 m2 (161,000 sq. feet) was used on the exterior of the building, for the hotel room windows and doors, with the remainder used internally for communal area balustrades and lobby facades.