There is provided a multilayer coating comprising a plurality of layers comprising a) one or more layers of an elemental transition metal; b) one or more layers of an elemental metalloid; and c) two or more layers of an oxide; characterized in that the transition metal and metalloid layers are between the oxide layers and the plurality of layers does not need to contain an additional transparent conductive film (TCF). The multilayer coatings show high transparency in the visible light range combined with heat shielding without the need of transparent conductive oxide which have been previously used to achieve these properties. The multilayers can be produced with conventional physical vapor deposition methods on glass and polymer substrates. The coatings may therefore be used for applications on windows, plastic sheets and window shields. The invention relates also to the process for making the multilayer coatings, articles comprising them and their use in building and other applications.