Walk into any major office tower and the lobby is often the first thing you notice. It’s the architectural “business card” of the enterprise. Developers know this, which is why so many modern lobbies use double-height atriums—spaces that feel open, light-filled, and dramatic.
But openness alone isn’t enough. How the façade is built makes all the difference. The curtain wall system—whether all-glass or stick-built—ultimately defines the lobby’s look, performance, and cost.
In landmark public projects, owners tend to want the same thing: “Give us the wow factor, but don’t blow the budget.”
Take one atrium entrance soaring 10 meters high (an industry example). The client loved the idea of an all-glass façade. But when the design team ran the numbers, the cost was staggering. Instead, the team opted for a steel fin system paired with ultra-clear insulating glass—still transparent and impressive, but far more practical.
This hybrid approach is common:
Main façade → all-glass curtain wall, maximizing openness and prestige.
Side façades → stick-built systems with T-shaped mullions, delivering stability and cost efficiency.
It’s a middle ground that saves the look and spares the budget.
In Huangyan’s Sheraton Hotel, an all-glass lobby sets a tone of luxury and sophistication.
London’s Sky Garden has become iconic with its fully glazed atrium, reshaping the skyline.
The Liandu Tower in Yiwu takes a practical yet refined path, using stick curtain walls to balance functionality with architectural expression.
At the Hangzhou Center Office Lobby, dual façade systems show just how versatile curtain wall design can be.
And in Anji’s “Two Mountains” Arts Center, NorthGlass pushed boundaries with 19-meter glass panels—a milestone for China’s curtain wall industry.
Together, these projects show how different systems tell different stories.
At SunFrame, we’ve seen both sides of the debate play out in real projects.
Strengths: unmatched transparency, ideal for hotels and corporate HQs.
Challenges: higher costs, more complex upkeep.
Representative Works:
♦ Prism Tower Nairobi – a 15,000 m² frameless all-glass curtain wall system rising in the heart of Kenya’s capital. Instead of conventional framing, the façade uses point-supported glazing with stainless-steel fittings, creating a crystal-like geometry of diamond-shaped panels. This engineering choice eliminated visible mullions, delivering maximum transparency and a sculptural aesthetic.
Despite its delicate appearance, the system was designed to withstand local wind loads and seismic movement, with laminated safety glass and precision anchoring. The result is a landmark façade that captures light from every angle —a true showcase of SunFrame’s capability in all-glass curtain wall engineering.
Strengths: cost-effective, wind-resistant, easier to maintain.
Trade-offs: less transparent than all-glass.
Representative Works:
♦ Gulf GRC Co Office, Doha, Qatar – stick system glass curtain wall with minimalist mullions, semi-curved skylights and clear glazing, achieving both elegance and daylight efficiency.
♦ Mahi Mixed-Use Development, Cebu, Philippines – exposed-frame stick curtain wall applied in a large mixed-use complex (hotel, retail, offices, atrium), engineered to withstand typhoons and ensure long-term durability.
In short, we adapt systems to match ambition and budget.
All-glass systems exceeding 6 meters typically require suspension assemblies, such as clamp or bolt-supported hanging systems. Their costs vary dramatically depending on panel thickness, dimensions, and interlayer construction.
In contrast, stick-built systems offer broader adaptability, particularly under extreme weather conditions like typhoons or harsh winters, and are characterized by consistent reliability.
Simply put, performance and budget weigh just as much as appearance in system selection.
For landmark projects—museums, hotels, prestige towers—where budgets allow, go all-glass. It’s the clearest way to make a statement.
For offices and commercial complexes—where cost control and reliability come first—stick-built systems are the smarter long-term choice, especially with SunFrame’s reinforced steel structures.
The debate between all-glass and stick-built curtain walls isn’t black and white. Each has its place, and often the best answer is a mix of both. What matters is understanding the context—budget, climate, performance—and tailoring the solution.
That’s where SunFrame comes in. With projects across Asia and beyond, we help clients strike the balance: façades that inspire by day, perform by night, and endure for decades.
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