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Curbed Tours: the Corning Museum of Glass

Step inside a real-life glass menagerie

Take one wrong step and you may just break a piece of artwork at the Corning Museum of Glass. The museum is dedicated to the art, history, and science of glass, and it only has artwork—more than 40,000 pieces—that is made out of the glass. The contemporary wing houses one of the world’s largest collections of glass art.

The space, located in Corning, New York, and designed by Thomas Phifer, is dedicated to showcasing the material and its versatility. Skylights and multiple windowed walls allow in maximum light, illuminating the artwork. "The best friend of glass is light," says Rob Cassetti, senior director at the museum. This museum examines not just what glass can be, but also how the material can play a role in the future of architecture and design.