Viracon Builds Australian Portfolio Over 20 Years

Aurora Place, a landmark mixed-use development situated in the heart of Sydney’s central business district, features a unique curtainwall façade.

Although they might not realize it, most people in Australia have seen the work of Viracon. In 1988 Viracon, an architectural glass fabricator based in Michigan, partnered with Michael McGarry and International Building Products to bring its glass products to the Australian market. Twenty years later, Viracon has provided glass to some of the country’s most prestigious buildings. Today, the glass fabricator is celebrating this milestone anniversary.

“In the past 20 years, Viracon has literally helped shape the city skylines of all major Australian cities,” says Michael McGarry, managing director of building products at International Building Products, Viracon’s Australian representative.  “We have been able to offer solutions to architects, designers and façade consultants across the country.”

One of the partnership’s hallmark Australian projects is the spectacular Aurora Place, a landmark mixed-use development situated in the heart of Sydney’s central business district. Viracon and McGarry worked for more than two years to develop glass with the perfect mix of aesthetics and performance for the soaring tower. In the end, a combination of a laminated insulating glass unit incorporating low-iron glass, a custom high-performance coating on the third surface, a low-E coating on the fifth surface along with custom ceramic frit patterns mix to create a glowing curtainwall façade that complements the nearby Sydney Opera House.

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