IMC Glass Reception Desk (Infinity Offices)

This desk is situated in the Infinity Building of Amsterdam, previously known as ING House, as part of the entrance of IMC. The request for the extraordinary desk was fulfilled by the interior architect Casper Schwarz and realized by interior builder Smeulders together with glass expertise from Si-X. The desk measures 7,6 meters in length, cantilevering up to 2,4 on the sides. It can be considered as an infinitely long glass desk. ABT provided the general structural design. In close collaboration with Si-X, different alternatives where found that worked out successfully for everyone. Although the first thing that came to mind was to realize the entire desk in structural glass, this was not the most ideal option from a structural point of view. In stead, hidden steel rods are connected to a thin steel bottom plate to support the weight of the glass. The addition of these steel rods did not impact the design as they are placed behind the dark translucent glass panels. Since the cantilever size is not equal on both sides, the structure would not automatically balance out to each other. Therefore, additional stiffening plates are added to add more stiffness and to keep more freedom of space between the legs of the desk. While glass does not form part of the main structural design, it should still be able to transfer the forces to the steel members. ABT defined some structural requirements to enable the right comfort of use for the desk. This was rather challenging regarding the size of the glass panes. Since the weight of the glass is one of the largest loads, every addition in thickness is considered. Also the steel bottom plate is incredibly slender compared to the span. Addition of glass influences the deflection of the steel plate, therefore the plate is made locally thicker at the location where the rods are attached to the bottom plate. The overall result is an exciting floating glass box and a true eye-catcher for visitor of this office.