curtainfacade

A curtain facade, often called a curtain wall, is a non-load-bearing outer cover of a building that is hung from and attached to the structural frame rather than supporting the building’s weight. It forms the building envelope, providing weather protection, daylight, and exterior appearance while transferring only its own weight and wind loads to the main structure.

Typically composed of a lightweight framing system and cladding panels, curtain facades use materials such as glass, metal, stone, or ceramic panels. The framing is usually an aluminum or steel mullion-and-transom grid that carries the panels, which can be monolithic glass, insulated glass units, or composite panels. Variants include framed curtain walls (stick-built on site) and unitized curtain walls (preassembled in large panels and installed as units). Some systems are designed as ventilated or double-skin façades to improve thermal performance and acoustics.

Key performance aspects include weather resistance, air tightness, and thermal control. Because the facade is non-structural, it transfers wind and gravity loads to the building frame. Modern curtain facades employ gaskets, sealants, flashings, and thermal breaks to manage water infiltration, air infiltration, and thermal bridging. Maintenance considerations involve seal replacement, cleaning, and inspection of fasteners and anchors.

Applications are common in high-rise office buildings, educational and cultural facilities, and other structures where daylight balance and exterior expression are priorities. Curtain facades reflect an evolution in façade engineering toward lightweight, modular, and increasingly energy-conscious envelope systems, while remaining distinct from load-bearing cladding.