Frameless glass doors and shopfronts Frameless glass doors and shopfronts
Clean sightlines, open entrances
Frameless glass doors and shopfronts remove the visual clutter of traditional aluminium framing, giving commercial spaces a clean, open frontage that draws people in. Glass Projects designs, supplies, and installs frameless glazing systems for retail shopfronts, commercial entries, showrooms, and hospitality venues across New Zealand.
The key to a successful frameless installation is getting the glass specification, hardware selection, and structural detailing right from the start. We work with architects and construction teams through design development to resolve fixing details, glass make-up, and compliance requirements before anything goes to fabrication.
Frameless glass door types
The right door type depends on the opening width, traffic volume, accessibility requirements, and the architectural intent. Glass Projects supplies and installs several frameless door configurations:
Patch-fitted hinged doors: The most common frameless door type. Glass panels are secured with stainless steel patch fittings at the top and bottom, with floor springs or overhead closers controlling the swing. Suitable for most retail and commercial entries.
Pivot doors: Glass rotates on a top-and-bottom pivot point, typically offset from the edge. Pivot doors suit wider panels and create a distinctive entrance, often specified for showrooms and high-end hospitality.
Sliding doors: Manual or automatic frameless sliding systems are ideal where swing clearance is limited. Automatic sliding doors with sensor activation also meet NZ Building Code accessibility requirements under Clause D1.
Stacking and folding systems: Multiple frameless glass panels that fold or stack to one side, opening up an entire frontage. Common in hospitality venues and indoor-outdoor retail concepts.
Featured Project:
Commercial Bay
Description: Multiple frameless glass shopfront installations
Glass shopfronts
A well-designed shopfront does two things: it showcases what is inside and it performs as part of the building envelope. Frameless glass shopfronts maximise the glazed area by eliminating bulky mullions, giving retail tenancies and commercial lobbies full-height transparency that framed systems struggle to match.
Shopfront glazing in New Zealand needs to account for wind loads (particularly in exposed or high-rise podium locations), human impact safety under NZS 4223.3, and security. Glass Projects specifies the glass type and thickness based on these site-specific factors, not off a standard schedule.
For street-level retail, we typically specify panels from 10 mm to 15 mm toughened glass, with thicker or laminated glass options where security or post-breakage integrity is a priority. Large shopfront panels in exposed locations may require toughened laminated glass to satisfy both wind load and safety requirements.
Glass specification
The standard for most frameless door panels. Typically 10 mm or 12 mm for doors, thicker for large shopfront panels. Shatters into small, relatively harmless fragments on impact. See our toughened glass product page for full specifications.
Holds fragments together after breakage, providing post-breakage integrity. Often specified for high-traffic shopfronts, ground-level security applications, and locations where UV filtering or acoustic dampening is beneficial. More detail on our laminated glass page.
Combines the strength of toughened glass with the fragment retention of laminated. Used where both high impact resistance and post-breakage safety are required, such as large exposed shopfront panels or secure entry points.
Eliminates the green tint visible in standard clear glass, particularly at thicker dimensions. Commonly specified for luxury retail and showroom shopfronts where true colour rendition matters. See our low iron glass page.
Double-glazed shopfront panels with Low-E coatings where thermal performance is required. Relevant for shopfronts that form part of the building thermal envelope, particularly under NZBC Clause H1 Energy Efficiency.
Applied window films can be added to shopfront glass for solar control, privacy, security reinforcement, or anti-graffiti protection.
Hardware and fixings
Frameless glazing relies on the hardware to do the structural work that a frame would normally handle. Glass Projects sources hardware from established suppliers and selects fittings based on the door type, glass weight, usage frequency, and aesthetic requirements.
Common hardware components include:
Patch fittings: Stainless steel brackets that clamp to the glass at top and bottom corners, transferring load to the floor spring or overhead closer.
Floor springs: Concealed closers recessed into the floor slab, controlling the swing of hinged and pivot doors. Available in hold-open and non-hold-open configurations.
Overhead closers: Surface-mounted or concealed closers for lighter door panels or where floor spring installation is not practical.
Pull handles: Available in stainless steel, brushed nickel, and matte black finishes, in round or square profiles. Handle length and diameter are specified to suit the door height and design intent.
Locks and access control: Frameless glass doors can integrate with electric strikes, mag locks, and access control systems. Lock patches with key cylinders are available for simpler applications.
Transom and sidelight clamps: Used to connect fixed glass panels above and beside door openings without the need for a traditional aluminium frame.
Featured Project:
Giltrap Aston Martin
Description: Frameless windows and doors
Discuss your frameless glazing project
Talk to our team about glass specification, hardware options, and installation details for frameless doors and shopfronts.
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