# World's largest pane of glass? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 21, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-largest-pane-of-glass/503752 "2009-07-21T17:20:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-largest-pane-of-glass/503752/1 "2009-07-21T17:20:11Z")
Is this the sort of thing for which world records are kept? What/where is the largest single pane of glass? No reason for asking; just curious. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-largest-pane-of-glass/503752/2 "2009-07-21T17:31:47Z")
depends how you define pane. The older telescopes would easily qualify as the largest piece of glass by volume. If you mean the flat surface area measurement that would be a different question. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-largest-pane-of-glass/503752/3 "2009-07-21T17:35:14Z")
I think [these glass store front panes](http://content.techrepublic.com.com/2346-10877_11-33535-2.html)are among the largest in the world The Sydney AU store claims to have the largest ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-largest-pane-of-glass/503752/4 "2009-07-21T17:41:38Z")
Sydney - claimed as largest [http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/20/02734/7310/travel/Five+Must-See+Apple+Stores+In+The+World](http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/7/20/02734/7310/travel/Five+Must-See+Apple+Stores+In+The+World) New York [http://content.techrepublic.com.com/2346-10877\_11-33535.html?tag=nl.e101](http://content.techrepublic.com.com/2346-10877_11-33535.html?tag=nl.e101) ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-largest-pane-of-glass/503752/5 "2009-07-21T18:17:53Z")
Those don’t look like single panes of glass. My guess is an aquarium. The viewing window at Okinawa, discussed in [thread=525210]this thread[/thread], is claimed to be the second largest, but no clues about the largest yet. The Wikipedia entry on the [Georgia Aquarium](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Aquarium#Exhibits) says, without citation, that its large viewing window is second largest, but again makes no mention of the one that beats it. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-largest-pane-of-glass/503752/6 "2009-07-21T18:32:17Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Those don’t look like single panes of glass. My guess is an aquarium. The viewing window at Okinawa, discussed in [thread=525210]this thread[/thread], is claimed to be the second largest, but no clues about the largest yet. The Wikipedia entry on the [Georgia Aquarium](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georgia_Aquarium#Exhibits) says, without citation, that its large viewing window is second largest, but again makes no mention of the one that beats it. Are those made of glass? I would be surprised if they are, I would expect them to be made of polycarbonate or some other polymer plastic ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-largest-pane-of-glass/503752/7 "2009-07-21T18:44:52Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Those don’t look like single panes of glass. Are you sure? They look like single panes (as stated in the article) that are braced so they don’t flex. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-largest-pane-of-glass/503752/8 "2009-07-21T18:52:44Z")
“Music in Twelve Parts” should qualify as one of the largest pains of Glass. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-largest-pane-of-glass/503752/9 "2009-07-21T19:02:34Z")
> [@KneadToKnow](#): > > “Music in Twelve Parts” should qualify as one of the largest pains of Glass. Of course in the middle of the US there are Great Plains of Grass. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-largest-pane-of-glass/503752/10 "2009-07-21T20:11:33Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Of course in the middle of the US there are Great Plains of Grass. Stay focused, people. 😉 Some good answers so far. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-largest-pane-of-glass/503752/11 "2009-07-21T20:44:30Z")
What was a moderately interesting thread has now become a large pain in the ass. ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-largest-pane-of-glass/503752/12 "2009-07-21T21:19:46Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Are you sure? They look like single panes (as stated in the article) that are braced so they don’t flex. They appear to be several different pieces of glass rather than one continuous piece: [http://www.bandlem.com/Xmas/2006/AppleStoreNY.jpg](http://www.bandlem.com/Xmas/2006/AppleStoreNY.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-largest-pane-of-glass/503752/13 "2009-07-21T21:34:36Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Are those made of glass? I would be surprised if they are, I would expect them to be made of polycarbonate or some other polymer plastic It is described as acrylic glass, so it’s not “glass” glass. IIRC, the glass used in Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion (actual glass this time) were the largest at the time, but they’ve probably been superseded by now. Also, _The New Republic_ was stained by Glass. The Kansas City Royals are a very plain baseball team owned by Glass. And finally, the US Supreme Court found in 1985 that Louisiana was not causing undue pain in Glass. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-largest-pane-of-glass/503752/14 "2009-07-21T21:40:29Z")
Probably not glass but the world’s largest viewing panel is at the [Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo](http://www.travelblog.org/Photos/3297306.html). Pretty freaking big. ---
**Author:** ![Oukile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@Oukile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oukile)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-largest-pane-of-glass/503752/15 "2009-07-21T21:43:16Z")
The main tank at [Osaka Aquarium](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Osaka_Aquarium_Kaiyukan) looks pretty big. > [@](#): > > The tanks used in the aquarium are made of 314 tonnes of acrylic glass - roughly 1.5 times the world’s annual production. The largest single pane measures six meters by five meters by thirty centimeters and weighs roughly 10 tons. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-largest-pane-of-glass/503752/16 "2009-07-21T21:46:04Z")
never mind, the cite I found was bogus ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-largest-pane-of-glass/503752/17 "2009-07-21T21:47:27Z")
This guy claims the New Jersey Aquarium has the largest single pane of glass. I have found no backup for this assertion though so take with a grain of salt. > [@](#): > > The round 760,000 gallon Open Ocean Tank is about 17 feet deep except in a section that is called the Abyss. Here the bottom has been deepened (24 ft) and the steel wall has been replaced by the world’s largest single pane of glass > > SOURCE: [http://divemar.com/divermag/archives/nov96/aquarium.html](http://divemar.com/divermag/archives/nov96/aquarium.html) ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-largest-pane-of-glass/503752/18 "2009-07-21T21:52:26Z")
I have seen a couple of cites stating that this ranch has the largest single pane of glass in North America. It measures 33’x10’. [Lima Peaks Ranch](http://www.luxist.com/2008/12/03/lima-peaks-ranch-estate-of-the-day/) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2009, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-largest-pane-of-glass/503752/19 "2009-07-21T21:53:54Z")
There was an article in the L.A. Times a few weeks ago about the 50th anniversary of the [Stahl House](http://www.juliusshulmanfilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/5-csh22-twogirls.jpg). It mentioned that the house was designed to use the largest size of commercially available plate glass at the time it was built. Presumably glass tech has improved some since 1959. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2009, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-largest-pane-of-glass/503752/20 "2009-07-22T01:45:11Z")
[QUOTE=The Hamster King] Presumably glass tech has improved some since 1959. [/QUOTE] It’s improved a lot just in the past few years. In 2003, [2.5 x 6 meters](http://www.glassglobal.com/news/one_of_the_largest_laminated_glasses_ever_produced_by_advanced_glazing_systems-955.html)was just about the biggest piece of laminated glass on the planet. Five years later, in 2008, the laminated glass at Apple’s Sydney store is two and a half times taller. I’m not sure how they’re measuring - probably in terms of single, non-laminated pieces - but [Schott](http://www.us.schott.com/english/company/glass_records.html)claims several “largest” records. They say they made the largest piece of glass in the world - an 8-meter diameter telescope mirror. And, you probably won’t catch me on the [world’s largest self-supporting glass staircase](http://plastics.dupont.com/myplastics/Mediator?common=5,4896,5549&locale=ch_CH). (As of 2006, at least) The ones at the Apple stores give me the willies as it is, but this one is much more open - [no risers, no bolts and much less hardware](http://plastics.dupont.com/plastics/en_US/images/highres/glseu0608ehi.jpg) to provide visual assurance that the thing isn’t about to collapse. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/worlds-largest-pane-of-glass/503752.md?page=2)