curtain wall

American  

noun

1. (in a framed building) an exterior wall having no structural function.

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curtain wall British  

noun

1. a non-load-bearing external wall attached to a framed structure, often one that is prefabricated

2. a low wall outside the outer wall of a castle, serving as a first line of defence

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Etymology

Origin of curtain wall

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

“The building, 728 feet long, 282 feet wide, six stories high, presents an impassive façade to the world with its rather bland curtain wall of glass and aluminum.”

From Seattle Times • Jul. 11, 2023

Almost the entire rear wall of the six-story building, once mostly sandstone pierced by narrow rows of windows, has been smartly replaced with a handsome glass curtain wall to let the sunshine in.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 9, 2021

Gray screens made of ceramic rods, which sheath a double-skin curtain wall, cast shifting, geometric shadows into the building’s offices.

From New York Times • Sep. 24, 2020

Its shimmering glass curtain wall, a feature that later became essential to Bauhaus design, brought together everything Gropius loved.

From The New Yorker • Apr. 22, 2019

The first raven took flight as their grapnels were arcing above the curtain wall, the second a few moments later.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin