Why is glass curtain wall used all over the world?

Glass curtain wall I believe that everyone is not unfamiliar, usually walking on the street can also see many office buildings, commercial buildings, landmark buildings are using glass curtain wall. Now many stores, villas and hotel rooms will also choose to use glass curtain wall for decoration, in fact, even the sun room we most often contact is also a kind of glass curtain wall, in modern urban architecture glass curtain wall is gradually becoming the mainstream of aesthetics.  
  
The origin of the glass curtain wall is from development  
  
The continuous progress of glass manufacturing technology has promoted the application and development of glass in the construction industry, and the development path and trajectory of glass curtain wall can be roughly divided into the following stages: the window of the early residential residence of human activities, the Gothic church building period and its successors, the plant garden greenhouse and commercial street corridor, the enlightenment application of industrial buildings, and the popularization of office and office buildings in a large area.  
  
The earliest internationally recognized application of glass curtain wall building is the Haried Building in San Francisco, United States designed by Wilis Jefferson Polk and built in 1918, which adopts reinforced concrete structure, glass curtain wall hanging on a cantilever cement board protruding 3 feet from the axis of the exterior wall, it has all the characteristics of modern building curtain wall: with glass panels and supporting glass panel structural system, relatively and the main structure has a certain deformation ability, does not bear the role of the main structure.  
  
After the reform and opening up, with the increasing frequency of exchanges with foreign countries, some advanced foreign construction technology and technology have gradually been introduced into China, and building curtain wall technology has been greatly developed in China. In 1981, the first glass curtain wall project in China appeared on the front façade of the Canton Fair Complex, which has the characteristics of modern glass curtain wall and can be used as the beginning of China's glass curtain wall era.  
  
Why are glass curtain walls used?  
  
The curtain wall is the outer clothing of the building, but also the soul of the building, is the external expression of the level of architectural style, and glass as a beautiful and easy-to-use design material, which makes many designers rely on glass to create beauty in the design, we can also find more and more glass curtain wall buildings around us. The material of glass is also very in line with architectural aesthetics, such as creating a sense of emptiness and extension.  
  
Office buildings and other high-rise office buildings have a relatively high demand for natural lighting, and the glass curtain wall lighting is very good. The design of the glass curtain wall will make the interior of the building more open when the light is sufficient during the day, and the glass curtain wall is atmospheric and clear enough, and you can see the outside scenery, so that people can enjoy the beautiful scenery and enjoy life in a transparent space, bringing people a sense of visual and spiritual comfort.  
  
Advantages and disadvantages of glass curtain wall performance  
  
The glass curtain wall is made of insulating glass made of mirror glass combined with ordinary glass, and the compartment is filled with dry air or inert gas. Insulating glass has two and three layers, and the two layers of insulating glass are composed of two layers of glass and a sealed frame to form a sandwich space; Triple-glazing is composed of three layers of glass to form two laminated spaces. Insulating glass has the advantages of sound insulation, heat insulation, frost prevention, moisture resistance, increased daylighting, and high wind pressure strength.  
  
Glass curtain walls also have some limitations, such as light pollution, large energy consumption and other problems. The curtain wall of the building is coated glass or coated glass, which is reflected and glare due to the specular reflection of the glass when direct daylight and skylight hit the glass surface. However, with the development of glass curtain wall technology and the continuous emergence of new material technology, the materials used in the glass curtain wall in the building can better solve the problems of light pollution and energy consumption.  
  
The main problem of the use level of glass curtain wall  
  
Safety is the most important thing to pay attention to after the actual use of the glass curtain wall, the glass curtain wall due to long-term use of wear, cracks and even falling off, falling debris to injure passers-by. Such accidents have indeed occurred, and there has been more than one. In fact, many housing and construction departments have issued relevant notices restricting the use of glass curtain walls, pointing out that non-special use requirements shall not be used in large areas, among which special requirements refer to public buildings such as airports and theaters, office buildings, and hotels.  
  
There is also the cost problem, the glass curtain wall is more expensive than the traditional tile structure, and after the completion and acceptance of the curtain wall project, a comprehensive inspection of the curtain wall project should be carried out, and then every 5 years should be inspected, and the inspection and maintenance price of the glass curtain wall in practical application is not low. However, the sensory enjoyment brought by the glass curtain wall and the improvement of the value of the building are also inaccessible to traditional tile structures.