Architectural Glazing for the Worcester Art Museum

A grand entrance to an art museum features a striking combination of modern and classical architectural elements, with a concrete façade punctuated by large rectangular aluminum windows and adorned with vertical banners displaying artwork, while a dramatic curved staircase with metal railings leads up to glass doors, framed by an overhanging concrete structure that provides depth and shade.

Architectural Glazing for the Worcester Art Museum: Custom Aluminum and Steel System

Aluminum, Landmark

At Open Architectural Windows and Doors, we take pride in delivering complex architectural glazing solutions that preserve historic character which both meet and complement meeting modern building standards and practices. Our recent work for the Worcester Art Museum, in Worcester, Massachusetts, exemplifies our expertise in large-scale, high-performance, high-value installations.

Architect: Joshua Fiedler, AIA, Fieldworkshop

Location: Worcester, MA

Area: 8799 sq.ft

Year of completion: 2021

Modern and historic architectural elements merge as a contemporary building with large windows and concrete walls connects to an older stone structure featuring classical detailing and a circular mural, while a sweeping staircase with sleek metal railings leads up from a manicured green lawn bordered by ornamental grasses, and vivid autumn trees glow under golden sunlight in the background, with urban elements like traffic lights and cars faintly visible beyond

Modern concrete building featuring tall vertical windows recessed between massive structural columns, illuminated by the soft golden hue of late afternoon sunlight, with a well-maintained lawn and manicured shrubbery in the foreground, a lone tree providing shade near the center, and mature trees and a lamppost visible in the background, contributing to a serene and orderly architectural landscape.

Custom Aluminum Profiles for a Seamless Historic Match

The primary challenge with this project was to reproduce the original look of the museum’s façade while upgrading it with modern, energy-efficient glazing. The architectural team had a clear vision: preserve the heritage appearance without compromise. To meet this requirement, we developed a fully custom aluminum system using Aluprof profiles, we then had extruded exclusively for this project. The precision of the custom fabrication was extraordinary — ensuring a perfect fit, bridging the historical with the contemporary.

Large floor-to-ceiling glass windows set concrete building reveal a bright, modern interior space used for community engagement, with visible wooden benches, children’s furniture, framed artwork on white walls, informational displays, and signs reading "Tours Events Classes," while the window reflections capture leafless tree branches and the surrounding urban environment, blending inside and outside visual elements into a layered composition of texture, light, and function.

Concrete building with two stories of large black-framed windows revealing interior spaces filled with art displays and a Christmas tree, sits adjacent to a yellow-brick historic structure with classical details, while in the foreground a leafless tree stands near a paved courtyard with empty metal patio tables and chairs, surrounded by early spring dormant landscaping, under a moody blue-gray sky.

Concrete and glass façade of a two-story building features large black-framed windows revealing a brightly lit interior art gallery with several paintings and artworks on white and pale blue walls, while the exterior shows a rain-dampened cobblestone and asphalt walkway under a gray-blue sky with bare trees reflected in the glass, emphasizing the clean lines, industrial textures, and transparency between indoor exhibition space and outdoor urban environment.

Corner view of a concrete building with expansive black-framed windows revealing a warmly lit interior decorated for the holidays, including a Christmas tree adorned with ornaments and lights, positioned beside a light yellow brick structure that provides a stark material contrast, all under a dusky sky that reflects subtly in the tall glass panes.

Person standing in front of a massive floor-to-ceiling window inside a modern concrete building, gazing out at a picturesque urban landscape that includes a historic cream-colored church with a green copper steeple, a red-brick Gothic-style building, a sculpture on a manicured lawn below, parked cars lining the street, leafless trees indicating an early spring setting, and a river faintly visible in the distant background under an overcast sky.

Oversized Glass Units and On-Site Assembly

Given the scale of the project, many of the units reached oversized dimensions, including a frame measuring 10 x 30 foot. Some of the largest glass sections, especially those on the second floor, had to be assembled directly on site. Our trusted installation partners used specialized lifting equipment and glazing manipulators to ensure precise and safe installation of the oversized units (as seen below).

Two construction workers wearing safety harnesses and hard hats maneuver a massive glass panel into position using a red robotic vacuum lifter with suction cups and articulated arms, inside a modern structure with white walls and ceiling beams, while standing on a temporary wooden platform near a large window opening, reflecting an industrial setting with visible caution and teamwork during precise architectural glass installation

Large glass window panels framed in black metal reflect the outdoor greenery and blue sky while revealing two construction workers inside a partially finished modern building with exposed concrete surfaces, loose tools, construction materials, and ladders scattered across the floor, all under soft indoor lighting that contrasts with the natural daylight outside

Blending Steel and Automation for a Public Institution

In addition to the custom aluminum solutions, we incorporated high-performance steel windows into the design. Since the building is open to the public, it was crucial to that we included accessible entry points. We integrated automatic door systems that blend seamlessly with the building all ADA compliance standards.

A High-Capacity, Multi-Team Effort

This was one of the largest projects our team has undertaken in recent years, involving a significant number of professionals — from engineers and fabricators to project managers. Installation was carried out by a certified local team under our coordination, ensuring each step of the process met our standards of quality and precision.