Glass Smoke Curtains — Technical Specification and Reference Projects in Luxembourg
In buildings open to the public, smoke containment is a precise regulatory duty: glass smoke curtains channel the smoke during a fire to protect the escape routes and limit the spread. Vitralux builds these installations with certified glass on Luxembourg's largest projects.
Smoke containment: a regulatory duty and a technical discipline
In any large building open to the public — shopping centre, showroom, airport terminal, hospital, school — the fire regulations call for a smoke ventilation system. Smoke curtains are part of that system: they create smoke reservoirs within large volumes, that is to say defined zones in which smoke is held back during a fire, leaving the escape routes clear and making it easier for the fire service to work.
Glass smoke curtains are by far the most satisfying answer visually: unlike opaque curtains in sheet metal or plasterboard, glass keeps the view through in open-plan architecture, lets the daylight past and sits within the overall design of the building without a break. In large shopping centres and premium showrooms it is often the only viable choice architecturally.
Vitralux has been building certified glass smoke curtains in Luxembourg for several years. Our experience on reference projects such as Belval Plaza, Cloche d'Or, Auchan Kirchberg and the Landrover Luxembourg showroom shows we can meet the technical and regulatory demands of major clients. We work alongside fire safety consultants, architects and engineers so that the curtains are designed into the smoke ventilation system from the outset.
How does a smoke curtain work?
When fire breaks out in a large undivided volume (a shopping centre mall, an atrium, a showroom), the smoke rises and spreads sideways under the ceiling. Without smoke containment it fills the whole space within minutes, destroying visibility and making escape dangerous.
Smoke curtains are vertical panels fixed to the ceiling or suspended from the structure: they drop below the ceiling by a depth set out in the fire strategy and mark off independent zones. The smoke is then held within each reservoir. Smoke vents — natural vents or mechanical extraction — clear it reservoir by reservoir.
- Drop depth: set by the regulatory requirements and the height of the volume
- Fixing: suspended from the slab or the ceiling on certified stainless steel or aluminium profiles
- Glass: certified to withstand high temperatures and thermal shock during a fire
- Fire resistance: to the classification that applies (E, EI, EW depending on the use)
A note on the regulations
The precise requirements (drop depth, fire resistance classification, area of the smoke reservoirs) depend on the type of building, its category and the Luxembourg regulations in force. Vitralux works from the requirements set by the fire safety consultant and the architect. No specific regulatory figures should appear on this site without being signed off by an engineering consultant.
Certified glass for smoke curtains
Certified toughened glass
Standard toughened glass is often used for smoke curtains with no fire rating. Its resistance to moderate thermal shock makes it a sound choice where the curtain's job is mainly to channel cool smoke.
Borosilicate glass
Glass with very high thermal resistance: it takes extreme temperature swings without cracking. Used for curtains in areas where direct exposure to flame is possible.
Certified fire-rated laminated glass
Glass with an intumescent gel interlayer: in a fire the gel foams into an opaque insulating layer that maintains compartmentation for the certified period (EI30, EI60 and so on).
Low-iron glass
For spaces where appearance comes first: low-iron takes the green cast out of standard glass and makes the curtain look all but invisible. Widely used in premium shopping centres.
Need compartmentation against flame rather than smoke containment? See our page on fire-rated glazing EI30 to EI120.
Four reference projects in Luxembourg
Vitralux has delivered the smoke curtains on several major projects in Luxembourg. This work shows we hold our own on large sites, working alongside the other trades and within the regulatory constraints and the programme.
Belval Plaza
Smoke curtains installed in the malls of the Belval Plaza centre. A large glazed area, coordinated with the building's mechanical smoke extraction.
Cloche d'Or
Glass smoke curtains in the public areas of the Cloche d'Or shopping centre. High architectural demands: low-iron glass to preserve the look of the building.
Auchan Kirchberg
Smoke curtains in the malls and retail areas of the Auchan Kirchberg centre. A large area, with a complex suspension system beneath the concrete slab.
Landrover Luxembourg
Smoke curtains in the Landrover Luxembourg car showroom. High-end requirements: low-iron glass and a discreet result in a display space.
Our smoke curtains in shopping centres
How we work on large projects
Technical specification
Vitralux comes in at design stage alongside the architect and the fire safety consultant: we settle the glass type required, the sizes of the curtains, the suspension system and the certificates needed.
Technical study and quotation
Working from the drawings and the requirements in the fire strategy, we produce a full technical study and a detailed quotation zone by zone.
Certified manufacture
The glass is ordered from our certified suppliers and cut to the exact sizes in our Luxembourg workshop.
Site coordination
We coordinate the installation with the other trades: structural works, HVAC, electrical and the smoke ventilation system. The curtains generally go in during fit-out, once the ceiling works are done.
Handing over the certificates
At handover, Vitralux supplies the data sheets for the glass used and the certificates needed for the fire safety file and for inspection by the competent authorities.
Aftercare and support
Vitralux stays with the installation after handover: replacing damaged panels, and periodic checks of the fixings on request.
Vitralux Smoke Curtains — specification
| Application | Smoke ventilation — smoke containment in large volumes |
|---|---|
| Building type | Public buildings · Shopping centres · Showrooms · Hotels · Office buildings |
| Glass available | Certified toughened · Borosilicate · Fire-rated laminated · Low-iron |
| Drop depth | To be set by the fire safety consultant |
| Fixing | Suspended from the slab or the ceiling — certified profiles |
| Format | Made to measure — any size |
| Certificates | Glass data sheets and certificates of conformity supplied at handover |
| Coordination | Architect · Fire safety consultant · HVAC · Electrical contractor |
| Luxembourg references | Belval Plaza · Cloche d'Or · Auchan Kirchberg · Landrover Luxembourg |
Data sheets — Pyroswiss SBS fire-rated glass
Documentation for the certified glass we use in our smoke curtains and fire-rated screens.
Frequently asked questions about smoke curtains
A smoke curtain holds cool smoke within defined zones, so that smoke ventilation works and the escape routes stay protected. It is not generally designed to withstand direct flame. A fire-rated screen (EI30, EI60, EI90 and so on) is a compartmenting element built to contain a fire and stop it spreading from one compartment to the next for a certified period. Both can use certified glass, but the performance and the certification are different.
Yes. Vitralux can come in at design stage to help the architect and the fire safety consultant settle the technical specification for the curtains: glass type, sizes, fixing system and the certificates available. Getting involved early makes sure the curtains sit properly within the smoke ventilation system and within the architecture of the building.
Vitralux supplies the data sheets for the glass used (build-up, thermal resistance, certificates), the working drawings for the curtains with their sizes and fixing systems, and the certificates of conformity at handover. These documents can be submitted to the competent Luxembourg authority for the sign-off of buildings open to the public.
Yes. Vitralux works throughout the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg on sites of every kind, from residential projects to major buildings open to the public. On large projects we plan our work around the construction programme and the other trades.
Other technical and safety glazing solutions
Fire-Rated Glazing
EI30 to EI120: doors, partitions, compartmentation, façades. CE certificates supplied.
View the pageGlass Façades
Bonded glazing, structural glazing, point fixings, louvres. From 10 to 5,000 m².
View the pageStructural Glass Floors
R13 slip resistance, fire-rated, XXL formats, fully walk-on.
View the pageGlass Partitions
Office partitions, acoustic partitions and glass dividers.
View the page
Smoke Curtains in Luxembourg
Specification, technical study, quotation from drawings: Vitralux supports your public building projects from start to finish.