“In modern architecture, glass plays a dominant role. Our living spaces have become more open, more transparent. At the same time, there is a growing movement in art toward transparency. For me, the enormous glass walls in contemporary architecture are ideal exhibition surfaces for transparent images.”
– Nabo Gass
In addition to his autonomous work, Nabo Gass is deeply engaged in the architectural integration of glass art in both public and private buildings. In bright, light-filled environments, windows, doors, and façades become canvases for his transparent artworks. In collaboration with clients, he develops individual solutions at his Uferatelier studio for integrating glass art into living and working spaces.
Entrance doors, in particular, serve as a “calling card” of the house and are ideal for conveying something about the people who live there. The double glass door “Storchennest” (“Stork’s Nest”), for instance, symbolically illustrates the family name of the homeowners – evoking the idea of a family nest that offers protection and belonging. The piece “Mondfinsternis” (“Lunar Eclipse”) tells a very personal story: a couple remembering how they experienced the same lunar eclipse at the same time, while being far apart – a shared memory now embedded in their home.
Windows and balconies also provide space for poetic expression. The piece “Sakura” refers to a real cherry tree in front of the kitchen window, whose presence is extended through glass branches and blossoms – merging inside and outside, nature and art. The balcony piece “Am Ufer” (“At the Shore”) shows an almost photo-realistic depiction of the river that flows below the house. The glass railing becomes a quay wall, where a girl sits and gazes at the water – a contemplative scene that evokes movement, memory, and serenity.
In 2022, a striking glass ceiling was installed in a private home – a 3 x 4-meter surface of laminated mirror glass that reflects light and continuously transforms the atmosphere of the room throughout the day. It functions as a living architectural element.
Nabo Gass also leaves his artistic mark in public spaces. For the fashion company Ernsting’s family, he designed a glass high-bay warehouse with integrated solar panels – a visionary example of how architecture, function, and sustainability can be meaningfully combined. In 2019, he also created a transparent smoking pavilion, providing employees with a sheltered place to pause and recharge.
Many other works by Nabo Gass can be found in public settings, including the Ernsting Foundation’s Glass Museum in Coesfeld, the courthouse in Roermond (Netherlands), and the Wall of Fame in Wiesbaden’s historic Kurhaus Winter Garden, where illuminated glass portraits greet visitors.
Across all of these projects runs a consistent thread: the belief that glass not only allows light to pass through, but also carries meaning – poetically, personally, and directly.
