Glass Curtain Wall Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Product Type (Stick-built, Unitized and other), By Application (Commercial buildings and Residential buildings), and Regional Forecast, 2020-2027

The global glass curtain wall market size was USD 48.06 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 71.14 billion by 2027, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.3% during the forecast period.

This market has been flourishing across the globe owing to rapid industrialization and commercialization in the developing as well as developed countries. Architecturally pleasing building looks and designs are achieved using glass curtain walls. Moreover, they also offer resistance to air and water and absorb sway induced by seismic forces on the building. Developing countries in Asia Pacific are likely to expect healthy growth due to rapid infrastructure development in the region. For instance, there are many airports (which utilize glass curtain walls extensively) that are set to be constructed in the region during the forecast period. This is expected to result in the development of other constructions such as hotels that also widely utilize these facades. For example, in August 2020, CPB Contractors secured 4 projects worth USD 76.5 million in India and Australia. In India, it bagged 2 building contracts to build the Hindu Heritage Experience Centre and the second one of Nita Mukesh Ambani Junior School in the city of Mumbai. Similarly, Balfour Beatty JV won the contract for Hong Kong Airport worth USD 1.66 billion. Such developments are poised to generate lucrative growth opportunities for the market. 

Downturn of Construction Industry amid COVID-19 to Weaken Market Growth

The outbreak of COVID-19 has halted major operations of the construction industry. The shortage of labor, disruptions in logistics and supplies, and delays in the production of raw materials are just some of the examples that showcase the challenges faced by the construction industry across the globe due to this pandemic. These disruptions have impeded the glass curtain wall market growth as a result of the cancellation of contracts, production delays, and postponement of supplies, along with various other factors driving. Mass layoffs have been witnessed in the industry as a direct result of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. For instance, in the US, in April 2020, an online survey released by the Associated General Contractors of America showed 27% of the construction firms have reported layoffs and 59% reported other problems that are causing delays and disruption in operations.

GLASS CURTAIN WALL MARKET TRENDS

Thinning and Lighting of Curtain Wall Systems is a Prominent Market Trend

As humans are mastering the art of designing and engineering, the glass used in curtain wall systems is getting thinner and lightweight at the same time. These glass systems are usually supported by lightweight aluminum frames, which allows the load to be transferred to the building structures. This is also reducing costs significantly, especially when the size of the building is big and the savings are compounded, which in turn is supporting the adoption of glass curtain walls. Moreover, the resistance offered by these systems reduces the cost of heating, cooling, and lighting of the building and helps achieve sustainability.

GLASS CURTAIN WALL MARKET GROWTH FACTORS

Expanding Real Estate in Emerging Economies to Benefit the Market 

The expansion of real estate has facilitated the development of large and magnificent structures with modern amenities. The era of globalization has led to the development of large commercial structures including office complexes in most parts of the world, especially in developing countries. The western developed economies have invested huge amounts of money in the form of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the emerging economies to support the growth of industries and establish international brands in these countries. This has resulted in the development of commercial offices and infrastructures that consume a high amount of premium architectural enhancements such as glass curtain walls, which is indeed emerging as a major growth driver for the glass curtain wall market.

RESTRAINING FACTORS

High installation and Maintenance Costs to Restrain Growth

The pleasing looks of glass-installed buildings come at a high cost. The installation as well as the maintenance cost of the glass curtain wall system is considerably high. Manufacturers provide standard as well as custom systems as per the client requirements. However, the custom wall systems are highly competitive with standard systems in case of complex large projects. Thus, the consumer has to hire experienced design consultants for such projects, which adds to the cost of the project.

Moreover, in case of leakage (air and water) in the curtain wall system, the repairs are expensive. In order to avoid such serious damages to the system, the building management has to invest a significant amount of money in the maintenance of glass panels as well as other components that require skilled manpower. Therefore, many commercial projects opt for other systems taking cost factors into consideration and thus the growth of the market gets constrained.  

GLASS CURTAIN WALL MARKET SEGMENTATION ANALYSIS

By Product Type Analysis

Unitized Segment to Hold the Largest Share of the Global Market

On the basis of product type, the glass curtain wall market is segmented into stick-built, unitized, and others. Unitized systems account for a prominent share in the market, taking into consideration that these systems are installed on a large scale on the exterior of buildings. This system type is composed of large units that are pre-assembled and glazed in the factory. Since the unitized systems act as an envelope of the building, fire safety, thermal efficiency, and sound transmission constraints need to be considered. To ensure optimum performance, this system is made of superior quality materials and designs, which spikes the cost of the system. The unitized system segment is thus expected to witness the fastest growth over the forecast period as many consumers prefer to add the modern glass effect in their commercial projects to attract potential customers.

Stick-build glass curtain wall systems are generally installed in small projects as it becomes cost-efficient to assemble the glass system at the site. The other segment-types are less popular in the market owing to more benefits offered by unitized and stick-built systems.

By Application Analysis

Commercial Building Segment Dominated the Market in 2019

On the basis of application, the glass curtain wall market is segmented into commercial buildings and residential buildings. Commercial buildings have been extensively adopting glass curtain wall systems for many years, far before the applications were extended to residential projects. Expansion of the commercial building sector in the developed countries in the west and industrialization & commercialization in the emerging economies of the Asia-Pacific region are expected to be the major growth drivers for the market over the foreseeable period. According to Global Construction Perspectives and Oxford Economics, the volume of construction output is expected to grow by 85% by 2030, of which China, India, and the US are likely to contribute about 57% of the overall growth. Thus, demand for glass curtain systems are expected to boost and witness high growth in the commercial segment in these developing countries as well as the US.

REGIONAL GLASS CURTAIN WALL MARKET ANALYSIS

Asia Pacific accounted for the largest share in the global glass curtain wall market in 2019. Countries such as India, China, Thailand, and Vietnam house rapidly expanding construction industries, which are likely to boost the growth of the market in the region. Moreover, the outbreak of COVID-19 has compelled the companies to focus on restructuring supply chains and as a result, these companies are pulling out from China and investing in other countries in the region. This will result in the development of commercial infrastructure in South and Southeast Asian countries and bolster the dominance of the region in the glass curtain wall market share.

Europe held the second-largest glass curtain wall market share, closely followed by North America, in 2019. Central and Eastern European countries are expected to be major growth drivers in the region as these countries are still developing as compared to Western European countries. Global Construction Perspectives forecasts that the UK construction industry will overtake Germany to become the sixth-largest in the world by the end of 2030. Furthermore, it anticipates that the US construction industry will grow faster than China’s through 2030, with the assumption that the consumption in China will slow down.

The Middle East & Africa market is dominated by the rich Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. The number of commercial projects is increasing rapidly in the region as the GCC member-countries are attracting potential businesses to reduce their dependence on oil. For instance, Saudi Arabia has unveiled its ‘Saudi Vision 2030’, which aims at attracting large multinationals as well as boost infrastructure sector to transform the domestic economy by 2030, lowering its dependence on the oil business.

The Latin America market has high growth potential, but the political and social instability is the major growth hindrance in the region.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Leading Players to Focus on Tapping Commercial Infrastructure Development Projects

The glass wall curtain wall market is fairly fragmented. There are several players operating in the international as well as regional markets. Securing commercial building contracts is the prime focus of most of the key players in this market. Many international players through their regional subsidiaries operate and dominate the local markets. For instance, Asahi Glass operates as Asahi India Glass Ltd. in India and dominates the local glass market, accounting for roughly 70% of India’s passenger car glass market. The company has completed many commercial glass curtain walls projects in India. Some of their most notable projects include BERGER TOWER, Noida; National Jute Board, Kolkata; International Institute of Innovation & Technology, Kolkata; and DLF Cyberpark, Gurugram, Haryana.

LIST OF KEY COMPANIES PROFILED IN GLASS CURTAIN WALL MARKET:

• Nippon Sheet Glass (US)


• Asahi Glass (Japan)


• Schott AG (Germany)


• Vitro (Mexico)


• China Glass Holdings Limited (Hong Kong)


• Guardian Industries (US)


• Xinyi Glass Holdings Limited (Hong Kong)


• AVIC Sanxin Co., Ltd (China)


• Saint-Gobain (France)


• Central Glass (Japan)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS:

• February 2020: Gualini Spa announced that it is completing the extension project of the airport of Orio al Serio, which is ranked third in Italy in terms of the number of passengers. The company is supplying and installing the external glazed facades with stick curtain walls system to meet the performance requirement of the building.


• April 2018: Associated Building Specialties announced the successful acquisition of Hillcrest Commercial Glass, a US-based manufacturer of commercial glass. This has strengthened the company’s position in North America. The resurgent construction industry in the region is expected to support the growth of the company’s business in the upcoming years.

REPORT COVERAGE

The glass curtain wall market report provides both qualitative & quantitative insights into this market. Quantitative insights include the global market sizing in terms of value (USD Billion) across each segment, sub-segment, and region profiled in the scope of the study. Also, the report covers market share analysis and growth rates of segments, sub-segments, and key countries across each region. Qualitative insights cover an elaborative analysis of glass curtain wall market drivers, restraints, growth opportunities, and key trends related to the market. The competitive landscape section covers the detailed profiling of the key players operating in the global market.

Report Scope & Segmentation