products
Guillotine Windows
Guillotine Windows & Vertical Sliding Glass
Guillotine windows and guillotine doors are vertical sliding glazed openings — panels that travel up or down so the aperture can clear fully for indoor–outdoor connection. IW Architectural Glazing supplies and installs large-format guillotine systems in the UK, including OTIIMA, alongside Solarlux and our wider frameless and structural glazing offer. Deliverable panel sizes reach up to 6 m × 6.4 m; we have also completed an OTIIMA guillotine of approximately 6.2 m wide by 5 m high. We detail drive, pocket, thermal build-up and structure with the architect so the opening reads as part of the façade, not a bolt-on.
Overview
Max Panel Size
6,000 x 6,400mm
Built Example
~6,200 x 5,000mm
Max Panel Weight
Confirmed per project
projects
Features & Benefits
Vertical sliding that clears the opening
Sashes travel up or down so the glazed opening can clear fully — useful where a horizontal slider would steal wall or stack space, or where a double-height volume needs a true openable glass wall.
Large-format panels
Deliverable sizes up to 6 m × 6.4 m. We have completed an OTIIMA guillotine installation of approximately 6.2 m wide by 5 m high. Sizes and configurations above day-to-day norms are confirmed project by project.
Motorised or counterweight options
Drive and balancing are specified with the design team — motorised for large or frequent openings, counterweight where the brief allows. Pocket, threshold and head details are worked through before interfaces are fixed.
Minimal sightlines
Slim profiles keep the glass dominant when closed, so the guillotine reads with the rest of a frameless or structural façade rather than as a separate window type.
Specified with the design team
Glass build-up, thermal targets, structure, access and lifting are coordinated with the architect and engineer. Performance figures are confirmed per project.
Applications
Double-height rooms and façades
Full-height vertical sliding glass where a room opens to a garden, terrace or court and side-stacking would break the elevation.
Glass extensions and garden rooms
Openable glass walls on extensions where the brief needs a clear aperture. See also our glass extension work.
Glass links between buildings
Where a link needs an openable plane as well as daylight — alongside structural glazing and glass links.
With structural glass roofs and walk-on glass
Guillotine openings can sit under or beside roof glazing and walk-on planes as part of one glazing package. See frameless rooflights and IW Structural.
Where horizontal sliding is the wrong move
When wall return, furniture or landscape blocks a side stack, vertical travel keeps the plan clear and the elevation continuous.
Technical Specifications
System type
Vertical sliding (guillotine) glazed openings — often described as guillotine windows or guillotine doors depending on threshold and use. IW is a UK supplier of OTIIMA and Solarlux systems (not exclusive) and specifies the right range for the brief.
Maximum sizes
Deliverable panel sizes up to 6 m × 6.4 m. We have completed an OTIIMA guillotine of approximately 6.2 m wide by 5 m high. Larger or unusual configurations are assessed project by project against structure, drive, access and lifting.
Drive and operation
Motorised and counterweight options. Exact drive, pocket and control details are confirmed per project and are not stated as catalogue defaults on this page.
Thermal performance
Insulated glass units specified to the project's thermal targets. U-values and acoustic figures are confirmed per project.
Glass options
Toughened, laminated, and double or triple glazing as the brief requires for safety, security and performance.
What is a guillotine window?
A vertical sliding glazed opening: the panels move up or down rather than sideways. In architectural use it is often motorised and sized as a full-height window or door that can clear the opening.
Guillotine window or guillotine door?
The same vertical-sliding principle. “Door” usually implies a threshold detailed for people to walk through; “window” for a glazed opening that may not. We use both terms so architects and clients searching either way find the right system.
When should I specify a guillotine instead of a horizontal slider?
When the elevation wants a clear aperture without side stacking, when furniture or returns block a pocket to the side, or when a double-height volume needs the glass to lift rather than slide. For side-opening minimal frames, see our minimal-frame sliding system.
Do you supply OTIIMA guillotine systems in the UK?
Yes. Invisible Windows (IW Architectural Glazing) is a UK supplier of OTIIMA and Solarlux. We are not an exclusive distributor; we specify the system that fits the project.