Southwall Technologies, Inc., a California based producer of high-performance, energy-saving films and glass products, announced today that it has been selected to supply over 380,000 square feet of its special heat reflective XIR film for China’s massive new multi-building sports complex in Shenzhen, China, the site of the World University Games in August 2011.
The landmark green building project, called Universiade Center, is currently under construction at a cost of approximately $548 million US dollars and will consist of a main sports stadium, swimming complex, and multifunctional arena. The glass-intensive complex will use Southwall’s heat-blocking XIR laminated glass to form a dramatic series of glass crystals that will redefine what is called the Longgang Sports New Town section of the city. Planned to shine like three giant illuminated crystals, the center’s design required exterior glass capable of high visible light transmission, clear optical transparency, and exceptional solar heat rejection to reduce air conditioning costs and improve spectator comfort.
Southwall’s XIR laminated glass encapsulates XIR film between two layers of PVB and glass. The finished product has a unique, low-reflectance appearance, allowing 70% of visible light to pass through while reflecting 50% of infrared heat rays. The pioneering technology was earlier recognized by Popular Science magazine as one of the “Top 100 Inventions of the Millennium”.
Southwall Technologies is an ISO 9001:2000-certified manufacturer, with its insulating glass products installed all over the world, but the Universiade project represents the first installation of XIR laminated glass in a major sports facility. When completed, the Universiade Center will be capable of seating over 80,000 spectators for the World University Games, an International multi-sport event organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation.
Dr. Yisheng Dai, Southwall’s Director of Asia High Performance Architectural Sales, commented on the project. “World-class structures such as the Universiade Center demand world-class, energy-efficient building components. We are pleased that the Chinese government and gmp, the German architectural firm responsible for the Center’s design, selected XIR laminated glass to meet the demanding aesthetic and energy efficiency requirements inherent in such a landmark project.”
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