Oklahoma City Federal Building
Structural Glass Bridges
Following the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, the new Oklahoma City Federal Building was designed with security, transparency, and resilience at its core.
TCG Glass was selected to manufacture two custom structural glass pedestrian bridges along with laminated cast glass railings used throughout the building.
The result is one of the nation’s most distinctive architectural glass installations—combining privacy, structural performance, daylighting, and security within a federal government facility.
Every glass component was custom engineered to meet the demanding performance requirements of one of America’s most significant federal buildings.
Project Overview
Location:
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Project Feature:
Two Structural Glass Pedestrian Bridges
Project Type:
Federal Government Building
Application:
Structural Glass Bridges & Laminated Cast Glass Railings
Glass Type:
GRIT Structural Glass Flooring
Laminated Cast Glass Railings
Unique Design Challenges:
- Visual Privacy Between Occupied Levels
- Secondary Mechanical Glass Retention
- Enhanced Security Design
Status:
Completed
Project Photography:
Ryan Siemers
The Story
The new Oklahoma City Federal Building was designed to symbolize resilience, openness, and renewal following the tragic bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in 1995. Throughout the design process, every architectural element was carefully evaluated for both performance and security—including the two pedestrian bridges connecting the building.
Rather than constructing conventional steel or concrete walkways, the design team envisioned structural glass bridges that would flood the interior with natural daylight while reinforcing the building’s clean, contemporary architecture. At the same time, the bridges presented two unique engineering challenges.
The first was occupant privacy. Because visitors would be walking across elevated glass bridges, the floor needed to transmit natural light while preventing direct visibility between building levels. Numerous glass samples were evaluated before selecting a textured laminated glass flooring system that provided the ideal balance of daylight transmission, occupant privacy, and visual performance.
The second challenge was security. Following lessons learned from the 1995 bombing, the structural glass bridge panels incorporated a secondary mechanical retention system engineered to provide an additional level of protection beyond conventional structural glass installations.
The completed installation demonstrates how custom architectural glass can successfully combine structural performance, occupant comfort, enhanced security, and striking design within one of America’s most significant federal buildings. In addition to the two structural glass bridges, TCG Glass also manufactured the building’s laminated cast glass railings, creating a cohesive architectural glass system throughout the public spaces.
