Where are stick-built glass curtain wall systems most commonly used in high-rise office buildings?

Stick-built glass curtain walls are assembled piece-by-piece on-site—mullions and transoms installed first and glazing fitted progressively—making them ideal for high-rise office towers with complex façades or variable panel sizes. For developers and façade managers in commercial districts like Riyadh’s King Abdullah Financial District, Abu Dhabi’s Al Maryah Island or Almaty’s CBD, stick-built systems provide design flexibility: they accommodate curved sections, variable floor heights and bespoke window-to-wall ratios more economically than large prefabricated units. Because components are lighter to transport and can be brought to restricted urban sites in stages, stick-built solutions often fit phasing strategies where lower floors are occupied while upper levels are still under construction. Thermal control is achieved through thermal breaks in vertical mullions and high-performance IGUs with low-e coatings—important for energy-conscious buildings in hot Middle Eastern climates and cold-season demands in Central Asian cities such as Bishkek or Dushanbe. Stick-built façades simplify on-site adjustments for deviations in structure; where column offsets or irregular tolerances exist, on-site fabrication of anchor slots and filler pieces resolves fit issues without returning panels to the factory. The main trade-offs are longer site labour time and greater exposure to weather during erection, so good site quality control, temporary covers and staged sealing are important. For high-rise office owners prioritising façade customization and phased completion in dense city centers across the Middle East and Central Asia, stick-built curtain walls remain a widely adopted, practical choice.