Book 25, Question 7
Why can a skyscraper have walls made mostly of glass?
In a skyscraper, the steel frame holds the weight, so the outer walls do not have to.
The glass panels simply hang from the frame like curtains, which is why they are called curtain walls. The glass can have thin coatings and layers of air to keep heat in or out. Big windows let in daylight and give people great views.
Watch the videoWatch on YouTubeSee the series on Amazon
Quick answers
Why can a skyscraper have walls made mostly of glass?
The Curtain Wall style refers to mid-20th Century buildings that use a prefabricated exterior wall sheathing system of glass and aluminium hung to their frames.
Source: dahp.wa.gov
More fun facts
- The use of such technology dates back to the 1909 Boley Building in Kansas City, which is credited as the first building to use an all glass exterior wall system.
- The curtain wall system is comprised of a repetitive grid of vertical extruded aluminum mullions and horizontal rails.
- Considered suitable for virtually any size commercial, government or institutional building, the Curtain Wall style became widespread by the early 1950s.
- The modular construction method used to construct the Curtain Wall style made it economical and popular for a time.
Sources: dahp.wa.gov