Those who lived in the Soviet Union remember very well the building blocks of glass, which were often used in the construction of internal walls in buildings, and in some structures also external ones. Outwardly, they resembled a thick square tile of half-transparent glass. It was impossible to see what was happening on the other side of the wall, but such walls were an excellent conductor of light.
1. Who first applied such strange material
Of course, in the USSR there were many talented inventors, designers and engineers who created many useful and unique things, especially in the field of military technology. Nevertheless, a fairly large amount of knowledge and innovations was adopted from Western colleagues. In the case of glass building materials in the form of blocks, the discoverer was the United States of America. It was in this country that he was invented. The creator of the product is American citizen James Pennickick. He patented his brainchild in the nineteenth century. Over time, a company producing unusual building materials appeared.
2. Glass blocks in the USSR
American products, naturally, had significant differences from Soviet ones. As soon as the glass industry was established in the Union at the proper level, the government of the state began to think about how to use this material in the construction sector. The first blocks began to be used in the thirties of the last century. They decorated the walls in basements and semi-basements.
Over time, the scope has expanded significantly. Glass “bricks” were used to construct partitions in public buildings, industrial and industrial buildings, staircases, and even managed to use them in apartments. The most popular building material became in the sixties of the twentieth century. It should be noted that America and the USSR were not the only countries where glass blocks were in demand. In fact, they were used almost everywhere in the world.
There were three types of blocks in the USSR. In terms of quality, they were no different from each other. Only the color scheme was different - blue, white, green. The surface could also be different - corrugated or smooth. Most of these glass blocks were used in the construction of catering units, clinics, cafeterias, laboratories.
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3. Aesthetics and more
Someone might well decide that in Soviet times, glass blocks were used exclusively to give the room a more unusual and attractive look. But aesthetics and decorative function are not the only reason.
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There was also practicality in the form of good energy savings due to the fact that the "bricks" of glass perfectly let light through themselves. This means that the electrician was turned on in these rooms much later than in the standard ones. By the way, J. Pennicuik, the inventor who gave life to the material, also provided for this feature.
Continuing the topic, read what 7 things from the times of the USSR suddenly became popular in other countries.
A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/270720/55443/