Glass curtain walls are many things-- lightweight, easy to prefabricate, etc. You can make an excellent claim that they belong in the repertoire of any builder.

Glass curtain walls are many things-- lightweight, easy to prefabricate, etc. You can make an excellent claim that they belong in the repertoire of any builder. But to claim they represent progress or civilization is just silly. The point of any architectural element is to serve the building, that building's purpose, and the people around it. For the same reason you wouldn't build a skyscraper out of masonry an outhouse with all glass curtain walls is an expensive failure, not a triumph of enlightenment.