A conventional curtain wall spends a meaningful share of its visual surface on mullions and transoms. Point-supported glazing removes most of that frame, holding each pane at four, six or more discreet points — and for a lobby, atrium or feature wall, the difference is the difference between looking through a window and standing in the space.
Point-supported systems replace the continuous frame with three engineered components:
Each pane sits on adjustable fittings that allow three-dimensional alignment on site — the tolerance that turns a theoretical grid into a crisp finished wall. Hardware is 316-grade stainless as standard for exposed applications.
Four hardware families cover the full spectrum of point-supported applications, from discrete lobby walls to full cable-net atrium envelopes.
Cast 316 stainless spider fittings fan out from a single anchor point to hold two, four or multiple pane corners. The standard solution for atriums, lobbies and feature walls where the fitting itself becomes part of the architectural expression. Arms are adjustable in three axes for site setting-out.
Flat stainless clamp plates grip laminated glass edges without drilled holes, preserving the pane's full section. Ideal for applications where hole drilling is undesirable — retrofit projects, heritage-adjacent works, or where the glass supplier specifies no perforation.
Glass fin clamps transfer in-plane loads through laminated glass fins rather than metal mullions. The fin becomes the primary vertical support, leaving the facade plane almost free of metal — the most transparent expression in the point-supported family.
Full glass-fin systems where the glass itself becomes the primary vertical support, braced by tension rods or cables in the horizontal plane. Spans increase, metal disappears, and engineering precision becomes the defining product attribute.
Removing framing does not remove structure; it relocates it. The engineering burden moves into the glass itself, and we price that burden openly:
Relative to a conventional stick system, the framed share of the visual surface typically drops by roughly a third — which is why atrium and lobby specifications return to this system generation after generation.
Common values for the systems we engineer; final figures follow wind zone, span and glass specification per project.
| Parameter | Typical Range / Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Max panel size | 1.2–2.4 m × 1.5–3.5 m | Governed by fitting positions, glass build-up and transport |
| Glass build-up | Toughened 10–19 mm; laminated or heat-soaked per duty | Increased build-up vs framed glazing by design; hole zones require edge prep |
| Fitting material | 316 stainless steel spider arms, bolts, tension rods | Adjustable in three axes for site setting-out; passivated for coastal duty |
| Point load capacity | 2.5–8.0 kN per point (typical) | Depends on spider arm configuration, glass thickness and bolt diameter |
| Air / water performance | GB/T 21086 Grades 3–4 / 4–5 | Sealed at fittings; tested on mock-ups |
| Max span (tension-braced) | 8–16 m clear | Beyond that, cable-net structural glass applies |
| Deflection limit | L/200 under design wind | Checked with pane bending and fitting rotation |
Point-supported glazing earns its premium where transparency is part of the brief: airport terminals that need passenger concourse visibility, hotel lobbies that sell the view, corporate atriums that connect floors visually, and museums and cultural buildings where the envelope is part of the curatorial experience.
For the fully structural end of the same family — cable nets and glass fins spanning far wider openings — see the structural glass page. Both systems share our engineering workflow, documented in the facade engineering practice.
Airport terminal facade where point-supported glazing opens up the passenger concourse to natural light while maintaining the air and water performance targets of a high-traffic transport building.
Read the case study →
Regional aviation hub where the terminal envelope combines point-supported transparency with the durability and weather resistance required of a 24-hour public transport facility.
Read the case study →
Curved stone and controlled glass resolved into one sculptural envelope — point-supported glazing working at the edge of what transparency can allow in a museum.
Read the case study →Common values for the systems we engineer; final figures follow wind zone, span and glass specification per project.
| Parameter | Typical Range / Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pane size | 1.2–2.4 m × 1.5–3.5 m | Governed by fitting positions and transport |
| Glass build-up | Toughened 10–19 mm; laminated or heat-soaked per duty | Increased build-up vs framed glazing by design |
| Air / water performance | GB/T 21086 Grades 3–4 / 4–5 | Sealed at fittings; tested on mock-ups |
| Support hardware | 316 stainless spider arms, bolts, tension rods | Adjustable in three axes for site setting-out |
| Max span (tension-braced) | 8–16 m clear | Beyond that, cable-net structural glass applies |
| Deflection limit | L/200 under design wind | Checked with pane bending and fitting rotation |
Point-supported glazing earns its premium where transparency is part of the program: hotel lobbies that sell the view, corporate atriums that connect floors visually, retail entrances where the window is the storefront, and skylights and glass roofs where a framing grid would cast a shadow pattern across a public space.
It also belongs to cultural buildings with tight light-control briefs — which is precisely the context of our Luban Prize-winning work at the Zhejiang Art Museum, where curved volumes were resolved with point-supported and structural glass systems in one envelope.
For the fully structural end of the same family — cable nets and glass fins spanning far wider openings — see the structural glass page. Both systems share our engineering workflow, documented in the facade engineering practice.
Curved stone and controlled glass resolved into one sculptural envelope — point-supported glazing working at the edge of what transparency can allow in a museum.
Read the case study →When spans grow beyond the point-supported envelope, the cable-net and glass-fin systems take over — same transparency goal, different structural language.
Read the system technicals →Tell us about the lobby, atrium or skylight you want opened — get a point-supported concept and performance outline within 24 hours.
