6 ways to enhance your design with a pivot door

Inspiration 07 July 2021

Pivot doors are everything but ordinary doors. FritsJurgens has revolutionized the pivot door by creating hinges that are hidden inside the door, are easy and quick to install, and guarantee a fluid, controlled door movement. Besides, the design possibilities are almost endless thanks to high load-bearing capacities and systems that are easy to integrate into any type of door material. So, in what ways can a pivot door enhance your design?

Dark wood pivot door open beside a black slatted wall into a lounge with a purple sofa, Taouk Architects, with FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge inside

Movement

Essential to pivot doors is their motion. If you’ve ever seen a pivot door moving, you know that the difference with a regular hinged door is massive. A pivot door pivots on a vertical axis, determined by the pivot hinge system’s position and top pivot. This makes the door movement very elegant.

FritsJurgens has perfected the control over the door movement with the System M+ pivot hinge range. The hydraulic technology found in the entire System M+ range focuses on the door’s movement and allows you to determine every single part of it. Don’t just focus on the looks of your door design but incorporate movement for an experience that is complete, from the moment the door catches your eye through to its soft-close.

Boundless materials, sizes, and weights

A pivot door can be made out of any type of material. From wood to marble, from glass to metal. With the right pivot hinge, nothing is impossible, and the weight of the door can go up to an astounding 500 kg without any concerns.

The door’s height is unlimited, so welcome ceiling-height doors into your designs. As long as there is space inside the door for the pivot hinge system, you can let your imagination run free.

Two storey-high bronze pivot panels in the glass-roofed atrium of an Amsterdam office building, with FritsJurgens System Fx pivot hinge inside

Seven meters tall and 500 kg each – massive pivot doors in the Atrium in Amsterdam. Design by MVSA Architecten, built by Harryvan Interieurbouw. FritsJurgens System 3 pivot hinge.

Copper-clad pivot door standing open between a kitchen and a timber-fenced yard, Coppice Joinery, with FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge inside

This entrance pivot door is clad with copper, which’s rustic look will change over time. Design by Coppice Joinery. FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge.

Veined marble pivot door standing ajar in a corridor beside a dark stone wall, with FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge inside

Even marble is a suitable material for a pivot door. This bathroom was entirely made out of marble. Design by Exceptis Interior Design. FritsJurgens System One pivot hinge.

Oak-framed glass pivot door open in a corridor with a glass floor panel, designed by Vahle A/S, with FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge inside

Glass and wood can be a beautiful, warm combination. The pivot hinge is hidden inside the door, which keeps the focus on the design. Design by Vahle Doors. FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge.

Industrial-style loft with black steel-framed glass pivot walls, leather armchairs and a cone fireplace, with FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge inside

Steel can be combined with various materials, such as glass. In a steel and glass wall, a frameless pivot door like this almost disappears. Design by Csamay. FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge.

Secret passages and hidden doors

Regular hinged doors often create lots of architectural lines caused by the door’s frames. One of the beautiful features of a pivot door is that door frames – and handles, for the sake of simplicity – are not necessary. That means that the door can be hidden inside a wall, creating a clean and calm atmosphere.

FritsJurgens’ pivot hinge systems are hidden inside the door, showing only a well-designed floor- and ceiling plate and creating not a single distraction. Imagine designing a hidden passage, through a pivoting bookcase, for example.

This bookcase wall is a hidden passage between an office and the living area. Design by Hoek en de Wit architecten. FritsJurgens System One pivot hinge.

Black built-in bookcase used as a pivot door, closed against shelves of books in a white loft apartment, with FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge inside

Black built-in bookcase pivoted open from a home library into a lounge with a black sofa, with FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge inside

This pivot door has been covered with the same material as the wall, making it almost invisible when closed. Design by Taouk Architects. FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge.

Fluted black timber pivot door ajar to a bright living room with a purple velvet sofa, the Bramley Court project by Taouk Architects, with FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge inside

The staircase to this apartment is almost invisible from the kitchen, creating a single ample space without distractions. Design by FADD Architects. FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge.

Wood-panelled kitchen with the same pivot door open onto a staircase, 6 ways to enhance your design with a pivot door, with FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge inside

Wood-panelled kitchen with a pivot door blending into the cabinetry, closed, 6 ways to enhance your design with a pivot door, with FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge inside

Sound-proof doors

Because of the many different materials that you can choose from when designing a pivot door, they can also easily be made sound-proof. The inside of the door can be insulated, or the outside can be covered with a sound-absorbing material such as felt. This is very useful when designing in public spaces such as offices, but it can also be a great addition to a family home’s interior.

In the new Groninger Forum in Groningen, The Netherlands, a study space can be closed off by large, sound-proof pivot doors. Design by NL Architects. FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge.

A row of tall sound-proof pivot doors divides two study spaces in TU Delft, a university in The Netherlands. Design by GROUP A. FritsJurgens System 3 pivot hinges.

Yellow multipurpose hall with pivoting partition screens dividing a seating area, Teaching Lab by Digidaan, with FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge inside

Yellow multipurpose hall with pivoting partition screens, two people talking near the seating area, Teaching Lab by Digidaan, with FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge inside

Partition walls

Pivot doors are basically rotating parts of the wall. When the pivot hinge system is placed in the middle of the wall, a pivot door can become a great room divider. The spaces are connected when the door is opened, and the pivot door becomes part of the interior. When closed, the pivot door becomes part of the wall and can barely be noticed. Create a row of pivot doors this way with sound-proof materials, and the added value to the space is enormous.

This resort in Jakarta makes clever use of a pivoting wall, finished with a beautiful multi-colored design on both sides. Design by Linvisibile. FritsJurgens System 3 pivot hinges.

Row of tall wooden pivot panels forming a pivoting wall in a concrete showroom, with FritsJurgens System Fx pivot hinge inside

Closed wall of wooden pivot panels in six wood tones in a concrete showroom, with FritsJurgens System Fx pivot hinge inside

This tennis center can also be booked for conferences and meetings. That is why these sound-proof pivoting walls are a great addition to the space. Design by Royal Haskoning architecten. FritsJurgens System 3 pivot hinges.

Perforated white steel pivot doors open between an office canteen and a meeting area, soundproof application, with FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge inside

Perforated white steel pivot doors closing off an office canteen, soundproof application, with FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge inside

Entrance doors

Pivot doors are perfect-fit grand entrances to any type of building. Imagine opening a door that is 7 meters tall to welcome your guests – that is truly impressive.

FritsJurgens’ System M+ pivot hinge has a feature made for doors with latching bolts, called Latch Control, that adds on to the self-closing nature of the hinge and makes sure the door always closes properly. Exterior pivot doors can easily be combined with draft- and moist-repellent details, like an automatic drop seal, with the special floor plates for System M+.

Tall bronze-toned pivot front door open in a concrete-framed entrance, McAnally Drive, Gavin Maddock, Australia, with FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge inside

5-meter-tall pivoting entrance door by Gavin Maddock. FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge.

Black steel exterior pivot door open between glass sidelights on a stuccoed facade, CastleWood Doors, with FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge inside

Exterior or entrance pivot doors can be made from all sorts of materials, like this black, custom steel. Design by Castle Wood Doors. FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge.

Black steel pivot front door open at a white brick house, wood handle, 6 ways to enhance your design with a pivot door, with FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge inside

HPL gives a smooth and clean look. The wooden handle is a warm, comfortable touch. Design by Strakk Interieurbouw. FritsJurgens System One pivot hinge.

Black steel-framed glass pivot front door open at a dark timber-clad house in Onnen, with FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge inside

Glass and steel are excellent materials for an exterior pivot door, especially in a glass façade. Door by Harryvan Interieurbouw. FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge.

Glass and steel pivot door open at a weathered timber-clad house, Werkhoven, with FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge inside

Just a little bit different – a copper-colored frame on a glass exterior pivot door. Design by Jeroen van Zwetselaar. FritsJurgens System M+ pivot hinge.

Ready for the next pivot door?

Are you ready to design or build your next pivot door? Contact us if you need further assistance.