Every fortnight someone rings us asking for a “curtain wall quote” for what is really a storefront job, or vice versa. The two systems look similar at a glance but they are engineered for different loads, different budgets, and different building heights. This is the practical difference.
Storefront glazing
Storefront systems are floor-to-underside-of-ceiling glazing designed to sit within a slab-to-slab span, typically 3 to 3.5 metres. The frames are 100 to 150 mm deep, the glass sits directly into the frame with gaskets, and the whole system is supported by the slab above.
Best for: single-storey retail, hospitality tenancies, office reception storefronts, ground-floor commercial. See our commercial shopfronts service for the residential and light-commercial equivalent.
Curtain wall glazing
Curtain wall is a self-supporting glazing system that hangs off the building’s structure from outside the slab edges. It runs continuously up multiple storeys without transferring load to the slab, only to a small number of engineered anchor points. Frames are 150 mm and up, and the system carries wind load, dead load, and thermal expansion independently of the building.
Best for: multi-storey commercial facades, feature walls, medical suites over multiple floors, corporate offices. See our curtain wall glazing service.
The three tests that decide it
1. How tall is the run of glazing?
- Single-storey (up to 4 m): storefront.
- Two-storey or higher continuous run: curtain wall.
- Mezzanine level (a single upper storey): usually storefront on each level, with a separate spandrel panel between.
2. Is the glazing carrying its own weight or hanging off the structure?
- Sitting on the slab, supported above: storefront.
- Hanging off engineered anchors from behind: curtain wall.
3. What is the wind classification?
Exposed corner sites, coastal or high-rise: curtain wall is usually the only compliant answer above 3 storeys. Sheltered single-storey inland tenancies: storefront is fine.
Rough cost difference
For the same face-area of glass, curtain wall runs roughly 1.5 to 2.5 times the price of storefront, because the frame system is heavier, the anchoring is engineered, and the install typically needs elevated work platforms.
That said, on multi-storey jobs curtain wall is often the only code-compliant answer, so the comparison is moot.
Real Penrith examples
- Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, 150 x 50 curtain wall wrapping the entire main facade, with automatic entries at ground level.
- Marshalls Mercedes-Benz, storefront system across the ground-floor showroom, cladding above.
- Nepean Motor Group, storefront system with automatic entry door.
Not sure which you need?
Send us the drawings and we will tell you which system the job actually needs, and quote both if it is a coin-flip. Full commercial glazing service overview.
