The Glassfarm

The Glass Farm, located in the market square of the Dutch town Schijndel, is a modern project inspired by old local farms. To construct this unique building all the remaining historical farms in the area were photographed, measured, and analyzed. From the images and data collected, the architects of MVRDV began to piece together the project’s image and shape.

The results were then printed on different size panels, using Dip-Tech's digital ceramic glass printing technology, culminating in an 1,800 sqm glass façade. A particularly intricate endeavor, the photorealism, scaling, solar control, shading, transparency, material imitation, cultural identity, and context were all carefully considered.

 The designers played with the levels of translucency according to the need for light and views throughout the structure, customizing the panels for each section. The completed Glass Farm stands at 14 meters (46 feet) high and is 1.6 times larger than a real farm, symbolizing the original village’s growth into a town.

A highly complicated, intricate and precise installation, the Glass Farm required thousands of individual, customized glass panels. To keep track, variable data codes were printed on each panel for easy installation and reproduction.

Besides an incredibly accurate replication, using digital ceramic printing gave the Glass Farm the durability it needs to withstand the elements over the long haul. The result: technology that perfectly replicates tradition – a modern glasshouse built in the image of history that is sure to stand the test of time.

GLASS PRINTING

AGC Glass Europe

PRINTED AREA

1800 sqm

NUMBER OF PANELS

5000

TYPE OF GLASS

Insulated Glass

COMPLETION

2013

PHOTOGRAPHS

Scagiola & Braklee