It’s oh so quiet: Silent Gliss

Silence is golden, they say. In which case, premium Swiss curtain- and blind-system manufacturer Silent Gliss has just hit the jackpot a second time with its innovative new Silent Track range. Listen closely...

By Silent Gliss and Simon Keane-Cowell for

Silent Gliss

May 22, 2019 | 10:00 pm CUT

Over 65 years in business and Swiss brand Silent Gliss is still innovating when it comes to frictionless, super-quiet, highly architectural curtain systems. Welcome to Silent Track!

Why does it have to be like this?

That’s the question I’ve posed myself countless times in the small hours of the morning. It’s not born out of some kind of existential crisis, you understand, but rather from sheer frustration at having been untimely ripped from my sleep by my upstairs neighbour – who, for reasons as impenetrable as the Sphinx, insists on raising and lowering her blinds in the middle of the night.

I’m smiling to myself as I write this, but it’s actually a serious matter. Disrupted sleep has a direct and negative impact on physical health and emotional well-being, not to mention work performance. We all sleep too little as it is these days. This we know. Add to that the fact that we live in an increasingly noise-polluted world – think shared spaces such as offices, as well as hospitality and other contract spaces – and any way in which design can reduce aural aggravation is hugely welcome.

Silent Gliss founder Alexander Weber, who knew from direct experience the negative effect loud, less than ideally designed curtain rails can have on wellbeing

Alexander Weber was ahead of his time. Unlike me, the founder of Swiss brand Silent Gliss – the leading supplier of curtain and blind systems for the high-end market – didn’t take things lying down back in the early 1950s when his family, lying down, was woken up on regular basis by his neighbour’s, in this case, curtains. The sound of heavy material being dragged across a metal rail was enough for Weber to set out developing a quieter solution.

Launched in the early 1950s, Silent Gliss has remained committed to being an industry leader. "Our systems have been copied multiple times by our competition," says Chief Technical Officer Michel Frauchiger

And so the world’s first silent curtain-track system was born. Over 65 years later and, never ones to rest on their laurels, innovators Silent Gliss have done it again. Silence has just got even quieter with their new Silent Track range, which sees archly architectural, specially designed tracks married with clever, two-component gliders. The result is an unprecedented lack of friction. Imagine a knife through soft butter and you’re not far off. (Swiss butter, of course.)

Silent Track is not only easy on the ear. Supremely graphic, track profiles are available in three sizes and a range of forms – square, round, oval, rectangular and funnel-shaped. What's more, customisation comes as standard, even in terms of colour

“We already had the quietest systems,” explains Chief Technical Officer Michel Frauchiger. “But these have been copied multiple times by our competition. So, as first movers, we were determined to take things to the next level with various new patents. We invested in new tracks, but also in a completely new, two-component technology for gliders” And they certainly did. Setting a new standard that will undoubtedly appeal to architects who aren’t prepared to compromise on their creative visions, Silent Track is the result as much of a strong visual consideration as it is an aural one.

Hospitality and other contract settings lend themselves to Silent Gliss's curtain and blind systems, with their sound and optical management, and ability to be tailored to the exact needs of the specifier or customer

Track profiles are available not only in three sizes (S, M and L), they also come in a range of forms – square, round, oval, rectangular and funnel-shaped. But that’s not the end of it. You see, there’s very little that’s standard when it comes to Silent Gliss. As a go-to provider of solutions for premium projects, they understand that it’s all about precise specification. Every product is fully customised, which is why you won’t find a Silent Gliss online shop. And which is why you can choose to order your track not just in conventional colours such as white and grey, but from a range of chromatic options, making a functional piece of design a truly architectural, noteworthy element.

Silent Gliss CTO Michel Frauchiger: “We’ve been granted over 200 patents since 1952, which is a clear sign of our commitment to push the boundaries of product design"

And with Silent Gliss’s comprehensive collection of functional fabrics (with acoustic, antimicrobial and energy-saving qualities), there’s even more scope for specifiers to get exactly what they want. It’s all part of the company’s constant striving to remain the architects’ partner of choice.

Michel Frauchiger is rightly proud of the achievements of his team and the Silent Gliss market position. “We’ve been granted over 200 patents since 1952,” he says, “which is a clear sign of our commitment to push the boundaries of product design. With the latest technology and our tireless precision and passion for detail, we create bespoke shading solutions that, which their perfect functionality and smooth, soundless gliding, you won’t find anywhere else globally.”

Now that should silence any doubters.