The town of Corning has been known as the center of glass production since the middle of the 19th century; this is where the largest company in the industry, Corning Inc. There is also a large glass museum, which hired Thomas Phifer to design his new building - to display samples of modern art and design (in general, the museum collection contains works from glass from different eras and peoples, starting from Ancient Egypt).
The new building faces a green lawn at the center of the museum campus; nearby is the building of the Steuben glass factory, which Phifer turned into a hall with 500 seats: there, visitors are shown the process of work of master glassblowers. The historic black building contrasts with the new structure, with a white frosted glass façade cut through by a 45-meter window. This glass was chosen by the architect because the lack of transparency makes it perceived as a surface and draws attention to its qualities as a material.
In the interior, Phifer also limited himself to white - to create the impression that "you have entered a white cloud." This color emphasizes the multicolored exhibits; unlike ordinary museums, they are not tied to the walls in any way, and curved partitions only divide the space into separate zones.
Special attention was paid to lighting. Glass - again, unlike most other museum pieces - is not afraid of daylight, but horizontal lighting makes objects from it flat, perceived as a silhouette. Therefore, the architect chose overhead lighting that emphasizes the volume and texture of the works.
