Sheer veil

The most unusual and interesting aspect of this building, however, is that glass has been used to evoke the cinematic heritage of the locale. The glazing creates the appearance of a floating, sheer veil and the undulating, abstract patterns etched onto the glass are reminiscent of the folds in hanging fabric. When lit up, these aspects and the curved corners of the building, give the impression of varying depths to the facade, transforming a simple glass wall into a giant theatre curtain.

In this area of entertainment and film preview parties, the light fittings between the skins enable the glass facade to also function like a vast, pixellated cinema screen. Furthermore, they give a nod of appreciation to the illuminated electronic advertisements and neon signs around the corner in Piccadilly Circus. The lights allow for movie-quality colour mixing and rendering to provide an infinite number of combinations and effects for the light displays. The glass had to be optically corrected and applied with a sophisticated ceramic frit to ensure it diffused the light across the facade as well as projected it. Since this makes the glass more opaque, it had to do this without obstructing the views from hotel bedroom windows. By night, the glass curtain becomes an animation of glowing light and colour, and possibly the biggest electronic artwork in London. (Isabelle Priest)