Gare Maritime at the historic Tour & Taxis site will feature Halio to reduce glare
Halio smart-tinting glass has been selected for use in the renovation of Gare Maritime, a turn-of-the-century commercial train station in Brussels, Belgium, according to Halio North America, LLC and Halio International. It is the first large scale deployment of Halio and will be produced at Kinestral Technologies, Inc.’s new high-volume factory later this year. The factory will produce several million square feet of Halio each year at sizes up to 10 feet tall.
“Gare Maritime is the first of several orders to come this year,” said Craig Henricksen, vice president of marketing for Kinestral Technologies, Inc., the maker of Halio smart-tinting technologies. “Our presence here at AIA is to affirm that we are taking orders globally. Architects and developers around the world are witnessing just how much Halio has advanced electrochromic technologies – and they’re responding. We are in final negotiations on a number of projects in North America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe – and we’ll be announcing them in the coming weeks and months.”
The Gare Maritime project was secured by Halio International, one of the joint venture companies formed by Kinestral Technologies, Inc. and AGC, Inc. to be the exclusive providers of Halio smart-tinting glass to the building industry. Extensa, an Ackermans & Van Haaren company and the developer of the project, selected Halio for the renovation primarily because the product helps them achieve their ambitious sustainability goals while using innovative technologies to ensure occupant comfort without covering up the original metal architecture with blinds and other daylighting techniques.
“Halio is the world’s most advanced natural light management system,” said Alain Jardinet, CEO of Halio International. “It’s extremely responsive. It begins tinting within seconds, and it reaches full-tint in less than three minutes. That’s up to 10 times faster than similar technologies, and because it tints uniformly, the relief from glare and solar heat happens almost immediately.”
In its clear state, Halio is indistinguishable from conventional glass, making it ideal for renovation projects that aim to preserve architectural elements while taking advantage of advanced technologies. Extensa will retain the art-nouveau wrought-iron framework of Gare Maritime to build a “covered town” with high-end offices, restaurants, retail, and public spaces. Halio will be featured in 600 windows for the two large glass facades of the building.
The project is located in Brussels’ Canal Zone and is part of the major urban restoration of Tour & Taxis, once a customs clearance and storage complex in Belgium that covers 100 acres.
About Halio North America and Halio International
The exclusive providers of Halio products and services to the building industry, Halio North America and Halio International are joint venture companies created by AGC, the world’s largest flat glass manufacturer and Kinestral Technologies, Inc., designer, developer, and manufacturer of Halio smart-tinting technologies. The partnership leverages their respective strengths and knowledge: AGC’s reputation in the building industry and 100+ years of experience in glass technologies and Kinestral’s innovative, patented smart-tinting technologies. To learn more, visit halioglass.com or follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn.
