Bendheim features Wall-F Glass at Denver International Airport

Denver, CO At Denver International Airport, a newly expanded gate concourse features the Wall-F Glass system from Bendheim in a new role: as a strikingly simple elevator enclosure.   

The Concourse C East expansion project employs a spare, minimalist aesthetic designed to maximize focus on dramatic views of the runways. Seeking to limit visual obstruction, project architects sought to create a clear glass elevator shaft with the bare minimum of visible hardware. Bendheim’s Wall-F Compression Fitting Glass system, originally designed for exterior rainscreen applications, allowed them to achieve their goal.

“Our design intent was to maximize transparency for the elevator hoistway,” said Bryan Smith, senior design architect at Jacobs. “We liked the clean aesthetic of the Bendheim clip system and felt it was more transparent than the typical pin supported system.” Installation was completed by PCI Metro.  

Bendheim’s Wall-F Glass system has been tested to meet the AAMA 509-09 standard for drained and back-ventilated rainscreens, certifying its effectiveness in preventing water from reaching a building’s façade. While originally intended for that purpose, this highly versatile option suits many interior applications as well.

In the case of the new airport elevator, Bendheim’s Wall-F compression fittings secured the glass across the 8-foot spans between steel supports. The 2” x 4” compression fittings were installed at the corners only, without any need to drill holes in the glass. In an elevator application, drilled holes in the glass create weak points that could be negatively affected by the elevator’s vibrations. A compression-based system also ensures easier installation, with greater opportunities to adjust in the field. 

The Concourse C East project utilized Bendheim’s ½” low iron tempered/laminated glass. The use of tempered and laminated glass was essential for strength and safety, especially given that the hoistway’s ceiling is glass as well. The clarity of low-iron glass allowed the designers to integrate the elevator into the space and provide optimal lines of sight to the outdoors.  

The DEN Gate Expansion project, completed last May, increased the gate capacity of Denver’s busy airport by 30%. The Concourse C East expansion added a total of 530,000 s/f, including 16 new gates, 20 new passenger waiting areas, and new traveler amenities such as nursing rooms, charging stations, an outdoor pet relief area, and a large outdoor deck complete with firepits. The additional gates will be operated by Southwest Airlines, making DEN the largest Southwest hub in the United States.  

Said Elieh, vice president for Sales at Bendheim, said: “We are in an exciting moment when it comes to the renewal of our nation’s infrastructure. The unique capacities of our different cladding systems provide almost unlimited scope for architects’ creativity, whether the project is interior or exterior.”