Why are glass curtain walls used all over the world?

I believe everyone is familiar with glass curtain walls. You can see many office buildings, commercial buildings, and landmark buildings using glass curtain walls when walking on the street. Nowadays, many stores, villas and hotel rooms will also choose to use glass curtain walls for decoration. In fact, even the sunroom we are most exposed to is a type of glass curtain wall. In modern urban architecture, glass curtain walls are gradually becoming the mainstream of aesthetics.

The origin of glass curtain wall is development

The continuous advancement of glass manufacturing technology has promoted the application and development of glass in the construction industry. The development path and trajectory of glass curtain walls can be roughly divided into the following stages: the windows of early human activities, the Gothic church building period and its In the subsequent period, botanical gardens, greenhouses and commercial corridors, enlightenment applications in industrial buildings, and the popularization of large-scale offices and office buildings.

The internationally recognized earliest building to apply glass curtain walls is the Halliday Building in San Francisco, USA, designed by Willis Jefferson Polk and built in 1918. It adopts a reinforced concrete structure and the glass curtain wall is hung 3 feet beyond the axis of the exterior wall. It has all the characteristics of a modern building curtain wall: it has glass panels and a structural system that supports the glass panels, has a certain deformation ability relative to the main structure, and does not bear the effects of the main structure.

After the reform and opening up, with the increasingly frequent exchanges with foreign countries, some advanced foreign construction technologies and technologies were gradually introduced into the country, and curtain wall technology has made great progress in our country. In 1981, the first glass curtain wall project in China appeared on the facade of the Canton Fair exhibition hall. It had the characteristics of modern glass curtain walls and could be the beginning of the glass curtain wall era in my country.

Why are all glass curtain walls used?

The curtain wall is the outer covering of the building and the soul of the building. It is the external expression of the level of architectural style. Glass is a beautiful and easy-to-use design material, which makes many designers rely on glass to create beauty in their designs. , we can also find that there are more and more glass curtain wall buildings around us. The material of glass is also very consistent with architectural aesthetics, for example, it can create a sense of space and extension.

High-rise office buildings such as office buildings have a relatively high demand for natural lighting, and glass curtain walls provide good lighting. The design of the glass curtain wall will make the interior of the building appear more open when there is sufficient light during the day. The glass curtain wall is atmospheric and clear enough to allow people to see the outside scenery, allowing people to enjoy the beautiful scenery and life in a transparent space, bringing people Comes visual and mental comfort.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Glass Curtain Wall Performance

The glass curtain wall uses a combination of mirror glass and ordinary glass, with insulating glass filled with dry air or inert gas. There are two layers of insulating glass and three layers of insulating glass. Two-layer insulating glass is composed of two layers of glass and a sealed frame to form a mezzanine space; triple-layer glass is composed of three layers of glass to form two mezzanine spaces. Insulated glass has the advantages of sound insulation, heat insulation, anti-frost, moisture-proof, increased lighting, and high wind pressure resistance.

Glass curtain walls also have some limitations, such as light pollution and high energy consumption. Coated glass or coated glass is used on the curtain wall of the building. When direct sunlight and sky light hit the glass surface, reflected glare is produced due to the mirror reflection of the glass. However, with the development of glass curtain wall technology and the continuous emergence of new material technologies, the materials used in glass curtain walls in buildings can now better solve the problems of light pollution and energy consumption.

Main issues in the use of glass curtain walls

Safety issues are the most important thing to pay attention to after the actual use of glass curtain walls. Due to long-term use, glass curtain walls may suffer from wear, cracks or even fall off, and falling fragments may injure passers-by. Such accidents do occur, and there are more than one. In fact, the housing and construction departments in many places have issued relevant notices restricting the use of glass curtain walls, stating that they cannot be used in large areas unless required for special use. Special requirements refer to public buildings such as airports and theaters, office buildings, and hotels.

There is also the issue of cost. Glass curtain walls are more expensive than traditional ceramic tile structures. Moreover, one year after the completion and acceptance of the curtain wall project, a comprehensive inspection of the curtain wall project must be carried out, and thereafter every five years. In practical applications, the glass curtain wall Inspection and maintenance prices are also low. However, the sensory enjoyment brought by the glass curtain wall and the improvement of the building value are also beyond the reach of the traditional ceramic tile structure.More about curtain wall