How can I tell if a facade is a curtain wall or a storefront wall?

Asked by davidpaton02 (37

) March 29th, 2010

I’m examining the Wallace Building in the University of Manitoba, and trying to determine whether it has a curtain wall or a storefront wall…I would guess storefront because the connections from the window wall to the concrete beams are static, but the building is three storeys and I thought storefront walls could only be 12ft. Help!?

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7 Answers

Can you post a photo?

PandoraBoxx (18031

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hmm I have pictures but can I post them on fluther or have to link them from another site?

davidpaton02 (37

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To quote wikipedia: “Curtain walls differ from store-front systems in that they are designed to span multiple floors, and take into consideration design requirements such as: thermal expansion and contraction; building sway and movement; water diversion; and thermal efficiency for cost-effective heating, cooling, and lighting in the building.”

From the photo I found (http://www.umanitoba.ca/CEOS/images/facilities/wallace.jpg) it looks more like a curtain wall, but with more storefront like finishes. I imagine the non-static connections are more cleverly hidden, but that’s just a guess.

grumpyfish (6657

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It used to be the case that a storefront wall was only for 2 or 3 story buildings. That is no longer true. There are six-story storefront walls, but the curtain walls have two finishes, and higher water and wind standards.

dpworkin (27090

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