Curtain Wall

Curtain Wall

A curtain wall is a skin that hangs from the frame and carries nothing but itself, the wind, and the weather.

What it is. Aluminum mullions, glass units, spandrel panels, gaskets and sealant, assembled as units in a factory and hung from the floor slabs one unit per crane pick. The Lever House (1952) and Seagram Building (1958) made it the look of the modern city.

What it does. Keeps water out, keeps conditioned air in, lets light through, and moves — thermally and in the wind — without breaking.

The trades. Glaziers, ironworkers on the embeds, sealant crews, the crane operator, and the drafting/BIM technician who models every unit before it is cut.

The physics. Thermal bridging, condensation, pressure-equalized rain screens, deflection between floors.

Why it matters. Once the wall stopped carrying load, the floor plate could be all window, and rent per square foot rose with the view.