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Art of Glass: 5 Homes with Glass Architecture

Luxury Defined spotlights a collection of homes with brilliant glass designs

Lalique: The name itself calls forth elegant images of artworks in glass, the lapidary beauty of Art Nouveau vases and perfume bottles in frosted glass and crystal.  

In honor of Lalique’s 2024 collection, Millésimes, which pays homage to its 130-year history as a “sculptor of light,” Luxury Defined presents a showcase of magnificent homes where the use of glass, whether windows, walls, doors—even staircases—only amplifies the architectural splendor. 

From an avant-garde penthouse in Rotterdam to a biophilic home on Martha’s Vineyard, these jewel-like homes display their breathtaking surroundings with immediacy and transparency, and with superb comfort and convenience. To live in one of these houses is to become ultimately connected between sky and earth, shore and sea, outdoors and in. 

1. The Box in Rotterdam, Netherlands 

Glass architecture home
The Box, an ultra-contemporary “glass house” above the Nieuwe Maas River, offers an unrivaled residential experience in the Dutch city of Rotterdam. 

The Bay House is a brand-new waterfront development in Rotterdam’s fashionable Rijnhaven district. The focal point of the 88-unit building is its “heart of glass”: The Box. 

The developer of the Bay House, Frame Vastgoed, commissioned interior designer Robert Kolenik of Kolenik Eco Chic Design to create an unrivaled living experience: “Exclusivity in terms of size, in terms of height, in terms of design and in terms of originality.” Indeed, this dazzling 10,763-square-foot penthouse is a work of art as much as it is a home.  

A private elevator from the building’s underground car park (ownership comes with three private parking spaces) arrives at a dramatic 40-foot-high foyer with a wall of glass facing out to the Nieuwe Maas River and the Rotterdam skyline. The eye is drawn upward to the “floating” helical staircase and a monumental sculptural chandelier.    

Beyond the foyer is a vast living room with a biofuel fireplace built into a curvilinear wall, paneled in sustainably sourced wood. Adjacent is the kitchen: unlike any other, with an aquarium that doubles as a kitchen island. Glass encloses the lap pool, housed in a beautiful wellness suite with a living green wall and champagne/juice bar.  

Additional creature comforts include six luxurious bedrooms and six bathrooms, zoned geothermal heating and cooling, and smart-home automation by Creston. 

2. Modernist Mansion in Pacific Palisades, California 

Glass architecture home
Glass is a dominant feature of this multi-level mansion in the A-list celebrity enclave of Pacific Palisades. Sliding glass doors and balconies with glass balustrades optimize the views of the Santa Monica Mountains and the LA cityscape. 

Set in the prestigious Riviera neighborhood of Pacific Palisades, this inviting contemporary home’s glass windows and walls are a quintessential expression of warm, modernist architecture and luxury living.  

The six-bedroom, nine-bathroom residence is entered through a vaulted foyer with illuminating skylights and a beautifully exposed floating wooden staircase paired with a wall of split-face Jerusalem limestone.  

The main level introduces dual entertainment rooms, a full bar, a book-matched marble fireplace, and a luxurious kitchen with Wolf appliances, a walk-in pantry, Perla Venata Quartzite, and Alpinus granite countertops. A guest suite adjoins.  

Upstairs, the private quarters include the primary suite, with its Thermasol steam shower and free-standing tub, as well as an executive office, three additional guest bedrooms, and a private balcony. An elevator links all levels. 

Seamless indoor-outdoor living includes multiple deck spaces, a pool, spa, cascading limestone water feature, and alfresco dining space. Downstairs are a dedicated home theater with a high-definition projector, a wine lounge and climatized wine cellar, a gym and a wellness center with a cedar-lined dry sauna and shower. Another guest suite, an extra-large laundry room, and a three-car garage complete the amenities. 

3. Minawetu in West Tisbury, Massachusetts

Modern glass home in Massachusetts
Minewetu, a contemporary beachfront estate on Martha’s Vineyard, is a showcase of biophilic design. The home’s abundant use of glass invokes the first principle of biophilic design: “a view of nature” which connects the occupants with the natural environment to enhance creativity, health, and well-being.

This contemporary beachfront estate overlooking Vineyard Sound and the Elizabeth Islands is one of the most breathtaking properties in all of New England. 

Minawetu, or “Island Home,” embraces biophilic design, which emphasizes human adaptation to the natural world. The house is essentially a platform for a botanical garden, which grows on and around the multi-level structure. 

At the entrance, enormous granite stepping-stones bridge two waterfalls cascading to a lower-level pond. Dramatic walls of glass connect the living spaces with the outdoors. 

A glass circular staircase rises to the solar-panelled green roof with an ipe wood pool deck and native grass lawns. A weathered stone staircase leads down to a 250-foot white-sand beach on Lambert’s Cove. 

4. Contemporary Coastal Retreat in Ramatuelle, France 

Contemporary Villa in France
The form and function of glass take center stage at this minimalist villa near Saint-Tropez’s legendary Le Club 55. Linear and curved glass walls connect the cavernous living spaces to a beautiful mosaic-tiled, L-shaped pool.

This stunning minimalist villa is just a minute’s walk from Pampelonne Beach and its famous Le Club 55. 

This property was renovated and redesigned for luxurious contemporary living. The sleek interiors extend to more than 3,000 square feet across two levels.  

The centerpiece of the home is a cavernous two-story lounge flowing into a bright and airy kitchen with breakfast space. Above is a mezzanine level with a wall of glass to capture the light and the views. Five sumptuous suites all have uniquely shaped windows and skylights. 

Curved glass doors open to a wooden deck surrounding an alluring L-shaped pool enhanced with opalescent mosaic tiles. An outdoor bar, dining area, and sun lounge add to the resort ambience.  

5. Eco-Villa at Finca Cortesin, Casares, Málaga, Spain 

Contemporary luxury villa in Costa Rica
Nature is ever present at this tropical eco-villa built into the jungle canopy of Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Peninsula.

This sleek eco-friendly villa is at one with its hillside setting in Finca Cortesin, a 530-acre resort community between Malaga and Cadiz on Spain’s Costa del Sol. 

The unique, grid-style facade is punctuated with walls of glass to flood the interiors with light and frame views of the resort’s championship golf course and the Andalusian coast.  

The roofing, cladding, and all internal systems (heating, cooling, water, electricity, and telecom systems) were designed for high energy efficiency and low consumption.  

Even the pool is eco-friendly, filtered through microspheres using electrolysis technology.  

The light-filled interiors, shaded by collapsible screens, are configured with a customizable layout to suit the owner’s needs. 

The homes at Finca Cortesin are ultra-private and secure, each protected by an electronic security system and a network of optical and thermal cameras. 

Searching for a luxury home with brilliant glass designs? Find it here.