Doors: The Latest Architecture and News

Large openings are a popular inclusion in the modern home, but loading and structural movements that cause few problems with regular sized door openings can have very significant consequences in a bigger opening. Your structural engineer will generally be able to ensure your building complies with all statutory regulations and does not fall down, but the movement of and around large openings can often cause unnecessary problems for the builder or the homeowner.

Here, Centor explores three of the most common problems that can arise with large openings and shows how all of them are avoidable if planned for in advance.

Sometimes a door can be a huge headache in a project. Think of a continuous, clean facade... having a door in the middle of it can ruin the clarity of the design. But a door need not be the traditional wood-paneled, brass-knobbed portal most of us are used to, much less an eyesore. 

But what if they could disappear from sight entirely? We’ve all dreamed of hidden passages and secret rooms tucked away in our homes. But for these to work, the entry must be disguised or hidden itself. 

In this series, architect and photographer Nipun Prabhakar captures the uniquely expressive doors of the city of Kathmandu, Nepal. More than just passageways between spaces, doorways in Kathmandu are used as social spaces where people regularly meet and as a physical representation of the building owner’s interests.

Prabhakar explains:

“The most versatile piece in a building, [the door] has been a mode of expression [for] ages. The door in apartments and modern societies is just a mode of a transition from outside to inside. In traditional cities and neighborhoods, like that of Kathmandu, it’s much more than that. It’s the place where people spend most of their time. Sitting at the Chaukhat, socializing and chatting. The door is not just a tangible unit, it’s the respect you give to your building.”

+ 23

Ricky Gui showcases a stunning series of "Hidden Doors" located behind shophouses in Singapore. Working for over a year, Gui highlighted over 600 "Hidden Doors"in his documentation. These doors are usually looked over as they hide behind shophouses and alleyways where people are unlikely to venture into. 

+ 14

Photographer André Vicente Gonçalves has revealed his latest project, “Doors of the World,” documenting hundreds of doors from cities around the world. Gonçalves has previously produced a photo series of hundreds of windows internationally titled “Windows of the World,” citing his interest in the way that such a small element of architecture expresses so much about its inhabitants and the human sense of security.

We teamed up with Building Pictures, Filipa Figueira and Tiago Vieira to feature weekly episodes of their video series “Arquitectura à Moda do Porto,” which highlights Porto’s most significant buildings over the last 20 years.

The series was launched in December 2013 and is comprised of 10 episodes, each focusing on a different theme: light, stairs, balconies, nature, textures, doors, windows, skylights, pavements and structures.

Last week we presented the series’ fifth episode on Porto’s textures, and now we present Episode 6 – Doors. Read the producers’ description of the video after the break.

As Mies van der Rohe said, “God is in the details.” And what detail could be more important than the door - that pivotal point where architecture first greets the user? To help inspire, we’ve created a new Pinterest board dedicated entirely to functionally adept and beautifully designed doorways.

You can view the board, here, and continue after the break for a selection of the board’s most popular doors...

Austrian company Klemens Torggler have recently invented the "Evolution Door," a very cool new door that slides itself open/closed - without the use of tracks. A special system of rotating squares means the door just requires a gentle nudge to close, and then momentum takes care of the rest. Words can't really explain the cool factor, so check out the video above and another after the break!