Glass-block wall

A translucent partition made of glass blocks — hollow glass bricks — laid in mortar like masonry, with steel in the joints and a frame at the perimeter. It carries no load: it divides the space while letting light through, diffused and without a direct view. Robust, washable and damp-resistant, it lights bathrooms, stairs and blind corridors with an unmistakable industrial-retro character.

A glass-block wall is a translucent partition made of glass blocks — hollow glass bricks — laid in mortar like masonry, with reinforcement in the joints and a frame at the perimeter. It carries no load: it divides the space while letting light through, diffused and without a direct view.

The glass block is the magic: it transmits much of the light but diffuses it, so the wall lights two rooms while keeping their privacy. It is robust, washable and damp-resistant — which is why it is used in bathrooms, stairs and blind corridors — and gives an unmistakable industrial or retro character.

The blocks are laid in mortar with spacers, and steel rods run in the horizontal (and sometimes vertical) joints, stiffening the wall and controlling its cracks. As glass and mortar are rigid, brittle materials, the perimeter is not built in solid: a frame with elastic joints lets the wall and the surrounding structure move without cracking the blocks.

Laying takes care: courses plumb and level, regular joints, a mortar suited to glass, and a final pointing that seals and finishes. Single glass is a thermal bridge and can condense: on external walls, chambered or double blocks are chosen. The maximum size without stiffeners is limited; beyond it, intermediate frames are needed.