The new Spertus Institute

An exterior view shows underside of the glass curtain east-facing facade

The faceted, folding wall of glass at the new Spertus Institute exemplifies advances in digital design and the freedom it gives architects to customize forms rather than standardizing them, as in the industrial age. The new Spertus facade is comprised of 726 pieces of glass, formed in 556 different shapes, including parallelograms that tilt in two ways, not one. The pieces project outward over the sidewalk by as much as five feet and inward toward the center of the building by as much as two.