When we last posted an update on the construction of the Comcast Center, it was from a lofty position on the 43rd floor. This update comes from a bit more humble of a perspective - namely, the street - but displays a pretty impressive feature anyway: glass.

The installation of glass at the site is hardly breaking news, since it began in October. Not until the last month, though, has it reached a height that can hint at how stunning the finished exterior will be. The skyscraper's skin is being formed with two different types of glass. One is highly reflective, while the other is mostly transparent.

The transparent glass will provide architectural variety by responding differently to the sky and by allowing more interior light to exit the building. The enormous, well-lit atrium on the JFK Blvd side and the cutout corners are both encased with the transparent glass, as will be the square crown making up the top 100 feet. (The steel construction is now just below this final crown.) The difference between the glass types can be seen in the photo on the right.



Even though the glass has been a pleasent surprise, looking much better on site than it did in the renderings, the Comcast Center still has a feature or two that it's been waiting to show off. A few floors up in the photo above, one lone bright spot can be seen on the left side. This is actually a test of the building's LED lighting system. When completed, it will create a striking effect by illuminating the all four corners and the crown.

More photos after the jump...






See the site from before digging started: almost 400 construction photos spanning 27 months are online here.

Photos by author, SkyscraperSunset.com.