Journal · Curtain wall

Curtain wall guides

Curtain wall is the glazed skin hung in front of a building's structure. These guides explain how the systems differ, how they are anchored and what to review before one is specified.

5 articles

Blue glass facade meeting a sharp corner under a pale sky
Curtain wall

Spandrel panels and shadow boxes in curtain wall

The opaque band between vision glass is not just a coloured pane. It hides the slab edge, carries insulation and has to look like the glass beside it.

7 min read
Balconies with glass railings stepping up against a clear sky
Curtain wall

Window wall or curtain wall: which suits the building

Both systems put a lot of glass on the outside of a building. They differ in how they meet the slab, how they move and who has to coordinate the joints.

7 min read
Layered glass panels held on bolted fixings
Curtain wall

Double-skin facades explained

A double-skin facade wraps a building in two layers of glass with a cavity between. It can suit some projects, but it adds complexity that must be justified.

7 min read
Balconied building with strong horizontal slab edges under a blue sky
Curtain wall

Curtain wall anchors: the detail behind the glass

The visible facade depends on brackets hidden at every floor. Understand the load path, survey, movement and slab-edge interfaces before installation.

6 min read
Glass facade modules glowing orange and deep blue in the evening light
Curtain wall

Stick vs. unitised curtain wall: how to choose

Curtain wall is not one product but a family of ways to build the same glazed skin. The main choice is where the work happens: on the building, or in the factory.

7 min read

General guidance for orientation, not a specification. Applicable standards, values and details are confirmed per project with the facade consultant.

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