The stretch of Delmar Boulevard, between Kingshighway and Union, has been bustling with the recent unveiling of MADE—a maker space that will house a children’s play area through a partnership with the Magic House.
Now, Third Degree Glass Factory (5200 Delmar) has announced an addition to their space, spearheaded by co-founders Doug Auer and Jim McKelvey with assistance from Mademan Design. Set to break ground in the new year and be completed by July, the project includes a 30-person art board room and a new courtyard entrance off of the existing parking lot.
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Auer says adding to Third Degree Glass is “a response to the steadily growing demand for a unique space to host events” and says it will be available to local organizations looking for a private off-site location.
He adds that this expansion “was planned before MADE was even a consideration.” But he says “both are physical manifestations of our commitment to our neighborhoods on both sides of Delmar and to the City of St. Louis.”
Mademan’s Patrick Knobloch said that “the client came to us with a plan to emulate the existing architecture–a masonry building, single-story; the window fenestration.” Rather than a regurgitation of the existing, the design team challenged that idea by conceiving the addition as a reinterpretation of the adjacent structure’s proportion and material. “Conceptually, we approached the project like it was a campus, we wanted to acknowledge that each of the buildings had a unique character appropriate to the time in which it was built,” he says.
He explains this vision as different vines that have been pieced together over time—each of them with distinctive architectural qualities. “We felt that rather than impersonate what was there, we would build off of what was there, providing an architectural language appropriate to the time in which the new structure was built.”
Instead of using masonry, they “acted to utilize a metal panel, a Corten steel metal panel,” which Knobloch says rusts over time, building a protected layer. It is similar to brick in that it gives a raw aesthetic and develops an evolving patina.
Choosing the materials was just one feat. Knobloch says other challenges include keeping to the code compliance and working around the constraints of the site—such as the existing parking lot.
Among the proposed design features is a large storefront shelving unit, which would facilitate the display of glass objects or other products. Perhaps most notably will be the ability to see into the courtyard, through the addition’s front volume, from Delmar.
Third Degree Glass will continue to operate as usual during construction.
