Glass is a significant material in shaping contemporary architecture. Its main feature is transparency, which is related to the possibility of letting daylight into building interiors. Glass facades mark the almost invisible border between the interior and exterior space, which is a source of endless design inspiration. This situation is facilitated by the development of technology and knowledge on glass as a structural material.
The article aims to identify and analyse the possibility to apply structural glass in glazed facades. The paper analyses the technological and structural aspects of glass. The conducted analyses were based on the following methods: logical argumentation, comparative method, and case study. The analysis of selected architectural implementations provided a major contribution to the work results. Based on this, the typology and characteristics of design solutions were established for glass facades in which structural glass is used. The search for solutions aimed at shaping all-glass self-supporting structures was assumed as the main criterion of the indicated typology. It has been established that shaping all-glass self-supporting structures is achievable with the use of frameless systems, glass fins, folded plate glass systems, or facades with bent glass. By designing self-supporting systems, the elimination or reduction of support systems of other materials can be achieved. Thus, the use of structural glass in these structures allows for uniform material solutions. These solutions not only focus on technological and structural aspects but also have a significant impact on the architectural creation of the facade.