Glass cellar or solid wall: which actually holds temperature

The glass is rarely the weak point

Clients assume a glass cellar is inefficient. In practice the weak point is usually the frame, the floor junction or the ceiling penetration. Low-E laminated glass in a thermally broken frame performs well; the same glass in an aluminium frame with a direct thermal path does not.

Condensation is a design problem, not a humidity problem

Condensation appears on the warm face when surface temperature drops below the dew point of the room. The fix is a thermal break and, where necessary, a heated glass edge — not a larger compressor. If a supplier's answer to condensation is 'more cooling', the design is wrong.

Access and serviceability

A solid-wall cellar hides its plant behind a panel. A glass cellar exposes it, which is an advantage if the panel is designed for access and a liability if it is sealed. Specify how the condenser is cleaned before you choose the aesthetic.

When glass wins

Glass wins when the cellar is also the room's feature, when the collection is display-grade, and when the adjacent space is climate-controlled. Solid wall wins in service corridors, basements with limited head height, and any room where the client wants the door to disappear.