A Huddersfield bespoke glass manufacturer has supplied 12 toughened laminated glass panels for one of the world’s largest penguin enclosures.

The project for Specialist Glass Products arose when Doncaster-based Yorkshire Wildlife Park had the opportunity to house critically endangered African penguins.

The attraction planned one of the world’s largest penguin enclosures with an investment of £1.2 million, its largest since the Covid-19 pandemic.

The strength, clarity and performance of the glass were key considerations throughout. The glass needed to support a large, deep body of water under high pressure, and therefore required specialised manufactured glass.

Because it is a viewing area, glass clarity was a major requirement. SGP’s manufacturing processes ensure extremely clear, uninterrupted glass with a crystal-clear interlayer, which adds to the glass’s clarity.

Cheryl Williams, director at Yorkshire Wildlife Park, said: “People were completely amazed when they walked through the gates, and you are hit with this wall of blue.

“It’s such a wow factor for visitors when they come straight through the gate, and the first thing they see is these 33 metres of glass.”

SGP added extra shifts in the factory to speed up manufacture from a three to four week turnaround to just over a week to ensure the enclosure was completed for the peak summer season.

Wayne Lewis, sales manager at SGP, said: “This is the type of project that Specialist Glass Products excels in, the type of project that we love and that a lot of our competitors will shy away from.”