Open for everything: Sky-Frame Classic

When architects such as Le Corbusier and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe were laying out their vision for an avant-garde architecture in the early 20th century, they pictured a technologically advanced world rendered in concrete, steel and glass. They suggested that these modern materials could enhance the lifestyle of a building’s occupants, with Mies claiming, for example, that when Nature is viewed through the glass walls of his iconic Farnsworth House, ‘it takes on a deeper significance than when one stands outside’.

The great modernists continue to inspire many of today’s architects, who also use glass to enhance the connection we feel with our surroundings. One of the best ways to achieve this is by replacing solid walls with glazed openings to magically reduce the threshold between inside and outside. Sky-Frame’s Classic sliding window system was developed in 2002 for precisely this purpose – providing an aesthetically timeless and technically optimal solution. The original flush-threshold sliding windows remain extremely popular with architects looking to create domestic spaces that combine comfort and security with a feeling of freedom.

The Classic window assembly comprises insulating glass units enclosed within aluminium or glass-fibre-reinforced plastic frames that are fitted flush with the floor and ceiling. The sliding units offer minimum rolling resistance when operated, whilst providing exceptional thermal insulation and soundproofing. In order to satisfy the demands of all sorts of residential projects, the system also incorporates a range of add-ons, including electric drives, insect screens and shading solutions.

Due to its simplicity and minimal elegance, the Classic range is both versatile and timeless, allowing it to be used in a wide range of architectural contexts. It has been specified for projects as diverse as a holiday home in the Swiss alps, a renovated apartment in Paris, and a penthouse on the roof of a historic building in New York City. Sky-Frame worked with the architects of these projects to help them achieve their vision of seamless integration with the surroundings. No doubt Mies and Le Corbusier would have approved.

© Architonic