Large panorama windows with extensive, floor-to-ceiling panels are an important element in sophisticated architecture, as an unobstructed view of the outside world has a particular appeal, especially when it seems to dissolve the boundary between the interior and a picturesque landscape. This is the context for the SEAMLESS panorama window from the collection of the luxury NODEA brand, owned by the Japanese building-materials manufacturer LIXIL. The name “Seamless” says it all with this window, as it has been created in such a way as to make the transition between interior and exterior, which a window represents, as invisible and seamless as possible. Nothing should obstruct the view, something that is achieved with focused design in combination with advanced technology. The frames are made of carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP), a material that exhibits great strength at low volumes and allows for a particularly slim window frame. In combination with the triple glazing, this nevertheless provides a high degree of airtightness and heat insulation. When closed, the SEAMLESS panorama window is impressively shallow in depth, as it is only as thick as the individual panels. When the window is opened, an electric mechanism moves one of the panels a few centimetres inwards so that the neighbouring panel can smoothly glide past it. It does so until the two window frames are completely overlapping, ensuring the view is once again unobstructed. As soon as the window is fully open, an additional concealed mechanism automatically covers the runners in the floor and ceiling so that, here too, a seamless impression is created. As the window is exclusively electrically operated, its creators have also been able to dispense with handles, locks and anything else that is not glass and could be visually disruptive. The jury was inspired: “The SEAMLESS panorama window is superlatively minimalist in appearance. Its design is completely focused on the seamless, purist aesthetic, which it achieves by means of sophisticated solutions, both in terms of the technology but also, and in particular, the materials used. The result is a rare level of elegance.”
