Seattle Central Library Curtain Wall Design

The diagrammatic form of the Seattle Public Library’s glass and metal skin began with the simple concept of wrapping the entire building in a continuous layer of transparency. This layer, with its faceted planes, outlines elevated platforms of program spaces on the exterior while creating a variety of interconnected spaces on the interior. Unifying these shifting planes of glass, a common diamond module has been utilized for the mullion framing across the entire envelope. Seemingly simple in concept, the curtain wall glazing system is comprised of numerous components, each requiring extensive scrutiny by the design team and fabricator to function both separately and as a complete assembly. Knowing that a custom curtain wall system would be required, the project team initiated an early bid package describing the scope and design intent of the general system. Using this delivery method, the design team, led

Seattle Central Library Curtain Wall Design

In order to understand the construction of the curtain wall system, some understanding of the building’s structural systems is necessary. In general the structure is composed of both load-bearing and seismic systems. The load-bearing system, in the form of columns and beams, supports the elevated platforms containing program spaces. The seismic structure, I-beam steel arranged in lattice-like geometry, connects platform to platform providing bracing during a seismic event. While both systems exist to ensure the building’s stability, they each create different conditions for the support of the curtain wall.

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