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    The Sydney-born solution to NYC’s paragon of inefficiency

    Architect Ben Berwick’s modular glazing system for saving energy costs is more than window dressing.

    Solgami was showcased at the Salone del Mobile in Milan in April. 

    Matthew DrummondAFR Magazine editor

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    The Seagram skyscraper in New York City is one of the most influential buildings ever built, a modernist masterpiece that has been endlessly copied since it was opened in 1958. Which is a problem because its single-glazed plate glass walls make it extraordinarily expensive to heat and cool.

    “It reflects a time when using energy was a good thing,” says Ben Berwick, a Sydney-based architect. In the 1950s, oil prices were low and the Seagram’s architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, designed the building with disregard as to what it would cost to run. As skyscrapers go, it’s a paragon of influence and inefficiency.

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    Matthew Drummond
    Matthew DrummondAFR Magazine editorMatthew Drummond edits AFR Magazine, our premium monthly inserted magazine that covers business, politics, fashion, design, food and wine, and is home to the Rich List, Young Rich List and the Power lists. Connect with Matthew on Twitter. Email Matthew at matthew.drummond@afr.com.au

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