Winners of the Best Pivot Door Contest 2023

Best Exterior Pivot Door 2023

FritsJurgens hardware is known in the world of exterior pivot doors. And this list highlights precisely what that means. With over 60 submissions in the exterior category, this truly is the best of the best.   

Winner - 1st place

Hardwood Projects and Details by Ned

26 points

Australia | Photographed by Prutti

Top pivot: TP-70
Bottom pivot: System M+

Words by the maker: "This door, a collaboration between Hardwood Projects and Details by Ned, is a highly custom creation. Every part, except the pivot, was made by us or Ned, including the steel plates and handle and a modified mortise lock.

Constructed by Hardwood Projects, the doors feature steel frames clad with recycled Mixed Australian Red Hardwoods, insulated to withstand Canberra’s climate. The steel internal frames ensure lasting alignment with the hardware. They’re double-sealed with brush and rubber seals, including a custom steel threshold for water protection.

Using top-quality materials, the doors incorporate the FritsJurgens System M+ pivot. Each door weighs 290kg and measures 3180mm tall by 1450mm wide, requiring ten people to manoeuvre due to their size and weight." operation celebrates the details in many alignments of interior finishing as you are welcomed into the home.” 

2nd place

Studio Ong

21 points

Philippines | Photographed by Studio Ong

Top pivot: TP-70
Bottom pivot: System M+

Words by the designer:
"The door is thoughtfully angled, offering a warm and inviting impression while also ensuring privacy for those within the restaurant.

It subtly integrates with the overall facade design, avoiding undue attention to stand on its own. The use of wood and vertically stacked louvres are varying."

3rd place

M. Plan

19 points

Austria | Manufactured by Oberascher Tischlerei and Sky-Frame | Photographed by Christoph Theurer

Top pivot: TP-70
Bottom pivot: System M+

Words by the architect:
“This pivot door stands out for its unique quality as it seamlessly integrates with the villa’s design, not just serving a functional purpose but becoming an integral and distinctive element of the overall architectural narrative. The door is not only an entry point but a carefully crafted feature, harmonising with the facade and offering a breathtaking view of the lakeside panorama, making.”

4th place

Invogue Door Systems

18 points

Australia | Photographed by Jesse Raeburn

Top pivot: TP-70
Bottom pivot: System M+

Words by the architect:
"The sheer size is what sets this door apart. The copper cladding of this door has become a landmark in the beachside suburbs of Melbourne. With 475 kg and 7 meters x 1.5 meters wide plus side panels, it is a statement piece."

5th place

Essentia Environments

17 points

India | Photographed by Purnesh Dev Nikhanj

Top pivot: TP-70
Bottom pivot: System M+

Words by the architect:
"This special pivot door is unique for a few reasons. First, it’s really big and makes a grand entrance. Second, it’s made from lightweight Laminam material, giving it a travertine-like appearance without the heavy weight. Third, it has a sleek and modern design that fits well in modern spaces.

Additionally, it can blend into the wall, acting like a hidden door that camouflages the space. When closed, it becomes a seamless part of the wall, adding an element of surprise and mystery to the room. It’s not just a door; it’s a clever design element that can transform a space and keep you guessing about what’s behind it. It’s both functional and stylish, making any place look amazing.”

Best Interior Pivot Door 2023

With over 30 submissions in the interior category, a design trend truly sticks out. As the winner of the interior category, it is a fantastic feat of engineering and aesthetics. Steel-framed and aluminium pivot doors are trending worldwide, and these projects exemplify what these steel dreams look like.

Winner - 1st place

Preferro

42 points

The Netherlands | Designed by StudioLIV | Photographed by Tom Bremer

Top pivot: TP-70
Bottom pivot: System M+

Words by the designer:"The material of the steel frame is bronze, and the glass is tinted bronze as well, making the door feel both warm and transparent."  

2nd place

Csamay

37 points

Austria | In collaboration with AXIS Pivot-Türen | Photographed by Csamay

Top pivot: TP-70
Bottom pivot: System M+

Words by the designer:"The door is lightweight, thanks to the aluminium frame. Easily adaptable to anyone's individual needs. With contemporary design and unmatched technology, this door is among the highest quality on the market.

It offers something special for those who appreciate quality and design, with stylish aesthetics and quiet closing mechanisms."

3rd place

DND Studio

35 points

Indonesia | In collaboration with SIMU

Top pivot: TP-70
Bottom pivot: System M+

Words by the designer:"This door becomes completely invisible when in closed position. The soft-open and soft-close function adds a layer of sophistication besides the visual appeal." 

4th place

De Rooy Steel Doors

28 points

The Netherlands | Photographed by De Rooy Steel Doors

Top pivot: TP-70
Bottom pivot: System M

Words by the maker:
"These doors have a unique coating, which exactly matches the overall colour pallet of the space, even down to the floor plate and ceiling plates. Form and function are equally important in this door, so the door offers hold positions at 90, 0, and -90 degrees angle and will automatically close to its closed (0) position."

5th place

Azero Interiors

26 points

The Netherlands | Photographed by Azero Interiors

Top pivot: TP-70
Bottom pivot: System M+

Words by the maker:
"Double arch, 3.90 m high, finished in a special flamed coating."

Best Specialty Application 2023 

The specialty category is called special for a number of reasons. These doors aren't just doors; they are experiences. One common demeanour is that these doors have the pivot point placed in the middle, making them effectively rotating walls. Whenever the door can not be categorised as a regular interior or exterior door, it often gets placed in the specialty category. For the year 2023, we were absolutely stunned by what we discovered, and we believe it will amaze you and the industry as well.

Winner - 1st place

Hayden Kidd & Dan Mckerrow

48 points

Australia | Designed by Nicholas Elias

Top pivot: Top Pivot Reversed
Bottom pivot: System 3

Words by the maker: "The unique circular door, requiring precise 360-degree rotation, was a challenging feature that we, as the homeowners and foreman, crafted ourselves. This innovation, born from our dedication, blends seamlessly with the building's materials, creating an almost invisible effect with just a fine shadow line. The door's exterior and interior designs are meticulously aligned with the surrounding structure, ensuring a continuous timber flow.

Utilising a central pivot system, the door operates without a handle, offering an interactive experience that feels integrated with the building's movement. It adds dynamism to the entrance, creating a cosy foyer when closed and a connected, airy space when partially open, enhancing the transition between public and private areas."

2nd place

Montero Parapar Arquitectos

45 points

Spain | Photographed by Héctor Fernández Santos-Díez

Top pivot: Top Pivot Reversed
Bottom pivot: System One

Words by the maker:
"The need to enable the Torre del XIX as the first exhibition room of the future interpretive centre of the Castillo de San Felipe is proposed. To do this, it is necessary to propose a new closure, but the air must continue to enter, the fog must surround and enter the building, the humidity must penetrate our bones, we must smell the sea, perceive the salt, hear the beating of the waves against the stone walls, we must dominate the estuary and feel... above all feel.

The space is closed with large doors, using a solid Iroko wood grating which, due to the difficulty of access, must allow its transfer in pieces and subsequent assembly on-site using a post-tensioning system. A massive carpentry is proposed, resolved by the aggregation of large section pieces, which remind us of the gun carriages of ancient artillery pieces. Almost half a ton of wood, with a pivoting opening that allows us the double transit of an exhibition space, that filters the light and allows the space to breathe.

It is partially treated with tar, giving it a characteristic smell, which recalls the caulking of the ships and brings us even closer, if possible, to the sea. The door, due to its conception, is integrated with the rest of the fortress and helps us develop a unique spatial and sensory experience linked to the new exhibition space, where past, present and future are intertwined in a single element."

3rd place

Barrause

38 points

Dubai | Photographed by Barausse

Top pivot: TP-70
Bottom pivot: System M

Words by the maker:
"Dressed Up is a customisable concept that seamlessly integrates into panelling, enhancing any space with aesthetic continuity and harmony. Its ability to reach considerable heights in an elegant pivot opening suits high-ceilinged rooms, adding warmth and depth with wood. Carefully selected metals modernise and embellish the door and panelling.

The design features wood slats of varying thicknesses and brass laminates in DeLabré Orbitale, Striato, and DeErosion by De Castelli, creating light reflections, shadows, and textures for a dramatic effect. The combination of wood's warmth and texture with the metal's elegance creates visually and tactilely appealing doors that blend function with sophisticated, dramatic style."

4th place

Wider SA

29 points

Switzerland | Photographed by Wider SA

Top pivot: TP-70
Bottom pivot: System One

Words by the maker:
"The sheer size and width of the door, in combination with the black slats that are adjacent and flush to the panel above the door. When the rotating wall is closed, you can hardly tell it's a passage."

5th place

Matulik Architekten

26 points

Austria | Photographed by Kurt Hörbst - Architecture Photography

Top pivot: TP-70
Bottom pivot: System M+

Words by the maker:
"The pivot door was the only solution for us in the planning process that allows for an optimal spatial structure both when open and closed. In the closed state, it serves as an attractive room divider, and when open, it expands the space and allows for unobstructed flow."

Widest Submitted Pivot Door

The widest submitted door of 2023 by Montero Parapar Arquitectos is an impressive 3840 mm wide and 3750 mm tall and weighs an impressive 460 kg. This door is unique not only by its size and weight but also by the setting, surroundings, and function of the door.  

Tallest Submitted Pivot Door

The tallest door submitted in 2023 shatters the previous record. Coming in at 7 meters, this monumental copper-cladded pivot door by Invogue Door Systems now holds the spot for the tallest door ever submitted. With over half a metre taller than the previous record holder, we're curious to see how tall the next doors will or can be.

Submit your project for 2024

Do you want to show your mastery of pivot doors to the industry and compete for one of the titles of FritsJurgens Best Pivot Doors 2024? Submit your project now.

Submit for 2024