Verhoseiniä

Verhoseiniä is a Finnish architectural term referring to curtain walls, a type of exterior, non-loadbearing wall system that encloses a building with a lightweight framing carrying glass or other cladding. A verhoseinä is typically mounted to the building’s main structural frame and designed to withstand wind loads while allowing large glazing areas. Common materials include glass panels, aluminum or steel mullions, and sealants; the system often combines fixed and operable elements.

The concept originated and gained prominence in modernist and high-rise architecture during the 20th century and is used in Finnish and international construction practice. Verhoseiniä are valued for maximizing daylight, creating visual openness, and enabling architectural transparency. They also contribute to energy strategies but require careful detailing to address thermal performance, condensation control, and air and water tightness. Modern implementations often include thermal breaks, insulated glazing, and advanced weather sealing to improve efficiency.

Terminology and usage: verhoseinä is the singular form, verhoseinät the nominative plural, and verhoseiniä the partitive plural. In architectural writing and building documentation, the term denotes the exterior façade system that relies on a frame-to-facade connection rather than the internal structural skeleton to carry loads. In practice, verhoseiniä are compared with load-bearing cladding systems and other façade technologies to meet design, climate, and energy requirements.