What is a pivot door?

A pivot door is a swing door that rotates on a vertical axis, a spindle. This is different from normal hinged doors, where the hinges are installed on the side of the door and the adjacent wall.

The pivot door technology is very simple and dates back many centuries. An example of very old pivot doors can be found in the ancient city of Persepolis, in present-day Iran. Several indications of pivoting doors have been found in the Gate of All Nations, a great hall whose construction was ordered by Xerxes I of the Achaemenid dynasty, between 486 and 465 BC.

(One of the laces that have been found in the ancient city of Persepolis, present-day Iran, was used for the lower pivot of an ancient revolving portal)

(Two solid stone pivot doors in Hampi, India, where the pivots are still clearly visible. Image courtesy of Shriram Swaminathan)

These early pivot doors were hung by pivots that swiveled into holes in the sill and lintel. A great example is the stone gates in Hampi, India.

(An old pivot door where the vertical axis of the threshold and the lintel are perfectly visible)

What components make up a pivot door?

A pivot door is basically a pivot panel that can take on any type of design and size. Regarding the door, there are those with a pivot system, with an upper pivot, a floor plate and a ceiling plate.

Unlike the old pivot doors, modern pivot doors do not rotate on the extension of a vertical axis, but on a system of pivot hinges and a top pivot. The pivot hinge system is built (milled) into the bottom of the door, and the top pivot is built (milled) into the top of the door. Both are invisible in the door when it is finished.

These pivot hinges install in any desired position on the door. This determines the position of the vertical axis, the axis, about which the door rotates.

(The components of a pivot hinge)

What is the advantage of a pivot door?

A pivot door is in visual terms very different from a normal hinged door. When the hinge is placed 10 cm from the side of the door, these 10 cm create the "tail" of the pivot door. This tail will swing in for an outward opening door and out for an inward opening door. This allows you a beautiful and elegant door movement.

A pivot door can have different measurements compared to conventional doors. Simply, a pivot door can be much larger. Taller doors are allowed but also wider than traditional hinged doors. There are examples of pivot doors over 4 meters wide and 7 meters high. Anything is possible when you have the right pivot hinge of the highest quality.

(7 meter high pivot entrance door with System M pivot hinge by FritsJurgens. Designed by Gavin Maddock)

Pivot doors can have any type of measurement, however with the right pivot hinge, these doors can also be very heavy without any problem. This means you have the design freedom to design the door you want without worrying about execution.

With a normal hinged door, the entire weight of the door "falls" on the door frame. Thanks to its axis, a pivot door can easily support much higher weights that it directs towards the ground. With the correct hinge, your pivot door can weigh up to 500 kgs.

By applying the correct type of pivot hinge, the hinges are invisible on the finished door, unlike the hinges on a normal hinged door. This means there are no distractions and the focus remains on the design of the door.

(Detail of a FritsJurgens pavement plate)

A pivot door can be made with any type of material. Its only requirement is that the hinges can be recessed into the door, which is possible for almost any material imaginable, from wood to glass or steel, and from marble to copper.

(Marble piMarble pivot door in a marble bathroom - Designed by Exceptis Interior)

A pivot door is suitable for countless types of installations, both indoors and outdoors.

From large entrances to bathroom doors, pivot walls, two-way doors, closet doors and even windows.

A pivot door with the right pivot hinges is very easy to install both in new situations and in existing ones. When the hinges are integrated into the door, there is hardly any work to be done where the door has to be installed. It is only necessary to place the floor and ceiling plates. Then the door can simply be lifted and placed.

Pivot doors may be frameless. By virtue of the position of the body of the pivot inside the door, there is no need for door frames. This enables the pivot door to be installed inside or outside.

Frameless Pivot Doors Feature Frameless Pivot Doors feature also allows you to install multiple Pivot Doors side by side to create double doors or even Pivot Walls.

Pivot doors can have a movement in both directions. Depending on the location of the door, the functionalities that the door must have, or if door frames are applied or not, pivot doors will be able to rotate in one direction, in both directions and even 360°.

A pivot door is a hands free door type. You may, of course, decide to add a latch and handles to the doors, however they are not necessary. With the correct pivot hinge, the pivot door can be opened and closed with just the touch of a finger, shoulder or hip. This makes the doors ideal for restaurants where waiters carry trays and their hands are full, but it also makes them very hygienic, since they can be opened without touching them with your hands.

What types of pivot doors are there?

Pivot doors come in all shapes and sizes. Pivot doors can be large or small, heavy or light, and can be applied indoors or outdoors. Another difference that is usually made is the pivot doors of the shops compared to the residential ones.

Exterior pivot doors

Exterior pivot doors they are a great way to make a grand entrance. The front door is the first tangible element encountered when entering a building. With endless design possibilities, a pivot entry can really set the tone for the rest of the home.

Exterior pivot doors can take any shape and size. There are countless materials potential to work with. Glass and steel, glass and aluminium, steel or aluminum or a different type of wood are very popular materials for entrances. However, copper clad doors are also gaining popularity.

(Copper pivot entrance door with System M pivot hinge by FritsJurgens. Designed by Porebski Architects, manufactured by Cumberland Building, photographed by Peter Bennetts)

Like, there are several ways to make this kind of gate weather resistant Details that repel drafts and moisture, such as drip seals, ensure that the pivot door does not lack for anything in terms of design and comfort.

Interior pivot doors

Interior pivot doors can be installed in any interior situation. In both new and existing situations, a pivot door can be easily implemented. A pivot door is suitable for bathrooms, kitchens, living rooms, studies, room dividers, and many other interior applications.

(Interior pivot door in steel and glass. Designed for Linox by Jens Lammers, photographed by Bert Demasure)

When you choose a pivot door for your interior, materials can range from glass and steel to wood, marble and every other type of application imaginable. Doors can be frameless or framed, single or double, large or small, light or heavy. Even pivoting bookcases and pivoting walls are possibilities.

(Even pivot bookcases are a possibility for pivot doors)

Additional features of the pivot door

Unlike normal hinged doors, recessed hinges on pivot doors can give the door several additional features that allow you to adjust the movement of the door.

Some of these features are: