Featured in Glass Quarterly - Fall
The latest issue of Glass: The UrbanGlass Art Quarterly features an in-depth exploration of Nikolas Weinstein's journey from that first breakthrough with the Berlin kiln to setting the world record with Mangrove. Writer Andrew Page traces the technical evolution that made architectural-scale glass textiles possible.
The article dives deep into the accidental moment when a cracked sample actually proved a structural solution. As Nikolas recalls in the piece: "I sheepishly brought it out to show these two engineers, and it actually looked awful. Where it had been hit, it had a stress pattern, but didn't explode or fall apart because it had multiple fused connections. It proved that the whole assembly could sustain local damage."
Pariser Platz 3, fused honeycomb of borosilicate glass
That discovery of structural resilience through interconnected elements became the foundation for everything Weinstein does today—from the dynamic pin-bed kilns that shape thousands of unique tube curves, to the flexible matrix that allow his glass textiles to absorb seismic forces.
Programmable dynamic pin-bed kiln
The Haeckel Connection
Page draws fascinating parallels between our work and Ernst Haeckel's 19th-century biological illustrations, noting how both reveal "how repetition of miniature elements underpins the anatomy of flora and fauna alike." The honeycomb structures and cellular networks that inspired Haeckel's Kunstformen der Natur continue to inform how we approach structural resilience through repetition.
Ernst Haeckel, German zoologist and naturalist
Beyond the Glass
What makes this feature particularly compelling is how it captures the collaborative, problem-solving culture that drives innovation in Weinstein's studio. From rocket engineers to plant biologists, the multidisciplinary team approach allows Weinstein to tackle seemingly impossible challenges—like installing a vertical glass tree nearly eight stories tall.
The full feature includes installation photography, technical details on the custom equipment Weinstein has developed, and insights into how projects like Mangrove push the boundaries of what's possible with glass as an architectural material.
Read Tapestries of Light" in Glass: The UrbanGlass Art Quarterly Fall 2025 Glass magazine continues to be the definitive publication exploring contemporary glass art and the innovations driving the medium forward. This issue also features Ukrainian artist resistance art, Walter Lieberman's chalk drawings, and Corey Pemberton's expanded craft media landscape.