Vitro Architectural Glass

Bird-friendly glass reviving popular Tropical Rainforest exhibit at National Aviary

Installation of Starphire® Glass by Vitro Glass with acid-etched finish centerpiece of $1.2 million renovation

PITTSBURGH, May 22, 2018 — Workers have begun to install more than 3,100 panes of laminated Starphire Ultra-Clear® glass by Vitro Glass, featuring AviProtek® bird-friendly Velour acid-etched finish by Walker Glass, over the Tropical Rainforest exhibit at the National Aviary in Pittsburgh.

The new, bent glazing, fabricated by Dlubak Specialty Glass, replaces the single-strength annealed float glass that was installed during the habitat’s original construction in 1952. Architectural representatives from Vitro Glass worked with bird experts at the National Aviary to develop a custom glass specification for the project, which incorporates complete acid-etched coverage on the exterior (#1) surface of an ultra-premium, low-iron glass.

The glass configuration also enhances bird safety by preventing birds of prey living outside the National Aviary from seeing and attempting to reach potential prey living inside the building. In addition, the translucent finish will maximize ultraviolet (UV) and natural light transmittance to help sustain bird and plant life inside the habitat.

The new glass is part of a $1.2 million renovation of the exhibit.

To learn more about Starphire Ultra-Clear® glass, visit www.vitroglazings.com or call 1-855-VTRO-GLS (887-6457).

Starphire Ultra-Clear® and Starphire® are registered trademarks owned by Vitro.
The PPG Logo is a registered trademark of PPG Industries Ohio, Inc.
Avi-Protek is a registered trademark of Walker Glass Limited, Inc.

About Vitro Architectural Glass

Vitro Architectural Glass, part of Vitro, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: VITROA), is the largest glass producer in the Western Hemisphere, manufacturing a range of industry-leading, energy-efficient, high-performance products such as Solarban®, Sungate® and Starphire Ultra-Clear® glasses. Committed to continually raising the industry standard for sustainability, Vitro was the first U.S. glass manufacturer to have its complete collection of architectural glass products earn Cradle to Cradle Certified® status and the first North American manufacturer to publish third-party verified Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) for flat glass and processed glass products. Additionally, as of April 2024, all Vitro architectural glass products meet the Top 20% Low Embodied Carbon (LEC) material Global Warming Potential (GWP) threshold the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) established pursuant to the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and related guidance from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Vitro operates seven glass production facilities across North America, four residential glass fabrication plants in Canada and one of the world’s largest glass research and development facilities in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For more information, please visit VitroGlazings.com.

Vitro Architectural Glass

Media Contact:
Robert J. Struble
Vitro Architectural Glass
412-820-8138
rstruble@vitro.com
www.vitroglazings.com