Companies with experience and formal training only can provide a well-designed and structurally-sound products that will stand the test of time, says Mohamed Khattab, general manager of the Dammam-based Zamil Art Glass & Architectural Metalwork, as he throws light on the market situation and the services offered by the firm.
UNTIL the 1980s the stained and decorative glass used in the Gulf was primarily designed, manufactured and installed by European and American companies, as no local manufacturer existed. Due to this situation, decorative glass was used only in the most prestigious public and private buildings as cost prohibited its general use as an architectural product and design statement.
Local manufacture of stained glass in Saudi Arabia commenced in the early 1980s and since that time, it has become an ever-growing industry with decorative glass being now specified as a standard product for commercial and private construction projects. There are now dozens of companies manufacturing stained and decorative glass products with a significant "hobby" industry also now well established.
Regretfully, there are no international quality standards relating to the manufacture of stained and decorative glass. Existing standards only relate to the manufacture of the raw material (glass, lead and cement). This situation has allowed individuals and companies with virtually no experience or expertise to enter the market place as bona fide manufacturers. The consequence is that low-cost, badly-designed and technically unsound stained and decorative glass is now available. They are difficult to distinguish for those unfamiliar with the market and the product, but are attractive due to their low cost and the normal budgetary pressures on construction projects.
Only companies with experience and formal training in the skills of decorative glass design, structural support and architectural glass and metalwork industries are fully capable of providing a well-designed and structurally-sound product that will stand the test of time. Stained and decorative glass sourced from low-cost inexperienced practitioners have been know to last just a few months, be unsafe and ultimately fail.
There are now a few companies who have significant technical and design experience (often initially gained through business and technical ventures with foreign partners) who are able to provide stained and decorative glass to rival the expertise of the European and American companies.
One such company is Zamil Art Glass and Architectural Metalwork, a member of Zamil Architects Industries Group based in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
Al Zamil is known throughout the Gulf for high-quality and sophisticated designs of stained and decorative glass, and has successfully supplied and installed masterpieces of decorative glass for literally thousands of projects including royal palaces, mosques, public buildings and luxurious villas.
Well-known projects done by the company include the windows for the Leylaty Ballroom on the Corniche in Jeddah, the windows and Mirhab dome at the Aramco Mosque in Dhahran, the domes and decorative columns in the Sunken Lounge in Gulf Hotel, Bahrain, the domes and windows of Al Andalus ceremonial hall in Dammam, the windows of Al Munirah Mosque in Aramco, Dhahran, and Al Nimran Mosque in Al Khobar, among others.
Zamil Art Glass & Architectural Metalwork was started as a joint venture between A H Al Zamil Group of Companies and Goddard & Gibbs Studios of London, a world leader in this industry. Craftsmen were trained in London to provide the highest quality products.
In recent years, the company has amalgamated with another joint venture company to add an architectural metalwork arm to the business and thus provide clients with a complete service from one source.
The company's product range and process now include traditional stained glass, decorative stained glass, acid etched and painted glass, sandblasted glass, fused decorative glass, structural support frames and glass reinforced plastic (GRP) diffusion.
In addition, the architectural metalwork aspect of the company manufactures brass, stainless steel and titanium for cladding, balustrades, doors, screens and entrances. A metal framing system from Wright Style, UK, has been introduced recently which offers unique solutions to the fire-resistant and security framing and glazing systems.
The company designs stained and decorative glass specifically for each individual client and the requirements of each unique situation. No design is repeated as the designs are tailored to every specific enquiry. The company aims to provide excellence in all aspects of the design and manufacture of decorative glass and to develop new products and methods to bring clients the best possible choice in decorative glass at affordable prices.
Being part of a large group of companies allows Zamil Art Glass & Architectural Metalwork to provide product guarantees to clients that give them the confidence in the product and the service.