Glass House Solarium Made from Caramelized Sugar Panels


You never would have thought that a sweet and literally edible house could exist, unless you were Jacob or Wilhelm Grimm. Well, William Lamson not only would have, but he also designed and produced a Solarium made from caramelized sugar and glass for the Storm King Art Center’s 2012 Light and Landscape exhibit.

He made 162 windows toned in yellow to brown color ranges by caramelizing sugar on different temperatures, pouring the fluid produced that way between two glass panes, which he first had to warm up in order to prevent them from breaking, after which they were sealed with silicone.

The panels were later assembled with steel, and this strange, but appealing construction got its final shape on the top of an isolated hill. Curious visitors have the possibility of entering the house from all directions, via larger panels, set on each side.

Hilltop Glass House Solarium by William Lamson

Aside from being a place for meditation, Lamson’s Solarium has another practical function: it serves as a greenhouse for citrus plants. All plants synthesize sugar in a process of photosynthesis using light, especially from the sun, and he wanted to symbolically close the circle: plants inside the Solarium using the light filtered through sugar panes.

When you consider every detail and facts about this piece of art, you cannot help but wonder whether William Lamson is a biologist, a cook, or an architect, because this artwork of his seems to be a fusion of all of that. watch video below

Hilltop Glass House Solarium by William Lamson on a cloudy day

Hilltop Glass House Solarium by William Lamson during winter

Building plan of a glass panel solarium

Caramelized sugar being formed into a glass panel

Interior view of the Glass House Solarium by William Lamson


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