We asked designers, engineers, and artists all about glass. Here, they share their insights about what glass can enable as well as the possibilities it creates for the future. What is it about glass that you find special? Share your thoughts and perspectives with us. Tell us why you are inspired by glass.
Inspired by Glass
“We have had a long love affair with glass. It inspires us with its beauty, surprises us with its versatility, challenges us with its complex physical properties, and transforms our lives with its unique technical capabilities.”
— Wendell Weeks, Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, Corning Incorporated
“For us, learning the way light and glass work together has been truly rewarding. Glass is performance art…from its fluidity to the way it scatters light in space. We are making spaces to put people in touch with the magic of glass.”
— Thomas Phifer, Architect, Thomas Phifer and Partners
“Every single piece of glass that we carry around in most cars, trains and planes today is heavier than it needs to be – because we basically have been using 1950s technology to glaze those vehicles. We are starting to put forth the technical glass that will remove a massive amount of weight from vehicles and save a massive amount of energy.
“And that’s only one of many technical glass applications we’re focused on today. Technical glass is hot.”
— Dr. David Morse, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Corning Incorporated
“Glass continues to inspire us with its beauty, surprise us with its versatility, and transform our lives with its technical capabilities."
— Dr. Jeffrey Evenson, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer, Corning Incorporated
"We are witnessing an incredible era of exponential growth in technology – and glass is at the forefront. As a key material enabling high-speed communications, more connected driving experiences, and even safe, reliable drug discovery and delivery, glass, as a material, will continue to significantly contribute to future technologies such as augmented reality, autonomous vehicles, and zettabyte communication revolutions."
— Dr. Waguih Ishak, Division Vice President and Chief Technologist, Silicon Valley, Corning Incorporated
“The future belongs to glass. At the sweet spot between the physical and the digital worlds is where glass is fulfilling its duty. Glass is at the backbone of the digital age silently and quietly. Yet, it is in the foreground of many aspects of our daily routines, mostly without us noticing its abundance and importance.”
— Chris Lefteri, Design & Materials Specialist, Chris Lefteri Design Ltd.
"Glass is a beautiful material, with a clean, elegant, high-end look. It allows designers and architects to create a lobby or elevator interior that is durable and scratch resistant with incredibly vibrant images, patterns, and colors.”
— Caleb Morrison, Vice President, SnapCab Elevator Interior Systems
“This is an age of ‘BigData’ and interactivity. From petabit photonics to colorful 8K displays, between the server, farmer, and classroom, from the cell tower to the smart watch, glass has proven to be a material that has significantly influenced how humans communicate and process information. It’s an exciting time to be scouting glass applications on technology’s frontier.”
— Dr. Boh Ruffin, Commercial Technology Assessment Manager, Corning Glass Technologies
“The future of glass is bright and I would encourage all designers and developers to get to know glass better and how to apply it in their future crafts.”
— Brett Lovelady CEO and Chief Instigator, ASTRO Studios
“Those of us engaged actively in glass technology are fascinated by its capacity for transparency, strength, stability, and impermeability.”
— Dr. Peter Bocko, retired Chief Technology Officer, Corning Glass Technologies
“What excites me about glass is that it is such a complex and amazing material. From an engineering perspective, it is hard to believe that 100 micron flexible glass could be handled like polymer film and yet have all the advantages of glass attributes.”
— Casey Kang, Commercial Technology Manager, Corning® Willow® Glass
“We live in an always-on world where connecting to information needs to be fast, seamless, and on-demand. All this data and information we need is constantly flowing through a little waveguide made of glass. When you think about it, that is pretty amazing.”
— Dr. Claudio Mazzali, Vice President, Technology, Corning Optical Communications
