Peckham Library

Peckham Library

After 15 years, original Vanceva laminated glass windows remain brilliant.

It has been 15 years since the completion of the Peckham Library in London, then part of a major urban revitalization of the borough of Southwark. The building was remarkable at the time for a number of unique architectural twist — its inverted L-shape, the open communal space under the cantilevered extension, the three elevated pods within the main library, and the use of clear Saflex™ polyvinyl butyral and Vanceva™ color interlayer system for the colored laminated glass panels for the cladding.

In 2000, the Peckham Library was awarded Britain’s most celebrated architectural award, the Stirling Prize, for its “extraordinary and innovative design.” Alsop & Stormer, the architects of the library’s unique design, fully satisfied the client’s desire for a building that would bring a sense of pride and ownership to the community while rejuvenating the borough.

The Peckham Library was one of the first buildings in the U.K. to make extensive use of Vanceva color interlayers for laminated glass systems. Today, the library is an excellent example of real-time aging and proves that the Vanceva color interlayer system endures. The colors remain as rich and vibrant as the day they were installed.

As this iconic building has become emblematic of its neighborhood, the Peckham Library stands as a testament to the durability of the Vanceva laminated glass system. After a quality check on site, it was determined that the glass had no apparent discoloration or edge fading. This is especially notable for the orange and green colors where, by definition, yellow pigments are present. Since they were installed, none of the glass panels have been replaced and the colors are as brilliant now as they were then. Vanceva is the polyvinyl butyral interlayer (PVB) used in laminated glass.

Vanceva interlayers are made with heat and light-stable pigments rather than dyes; because of this, they resist fading and have truer and longer-lasting colors as apparent in the Peckham Library project. Along with color durability, Vanceva interlayers offer definitive protection from damaging UV rays and reduction of solar energy transmittance. As with every Saflex product, Vanceva color interlayers deliver all of the traditional benefits inherent in laminated glass, including safety, security, and sound control.