Designs in motion: Best Pivot Door Contest 2024 winners announced

The results of the Best Pivot Door Contest 2024 have been announced, celebrating an outstanding selection of pivot doors that embody cutting-edge innovation, refined design and meticulous craftsmanship from around the world. An esteemed jury, comprised of last year's winners, carried out a detailed evaluation to identify the best entries in three categories: Best Exterior Pivot Door, Best Interior Pivot Door and Best Speciality Application.

This category highlighted bold statements in exterior architectural design. The winning entries showcased how pivot doors can serve as striking focal points for a building, seamlessly blending scale, materiality and narrative. Each top project brought a sense of artistry and precision, transforming entrances into icons of identity and craftsmanship.

Designer: Kantor Gunawan Gunawan
Manufacturer: Rangka Indah
Hardware: Habitus Concept

Score: 45

The D+S House door, standing six metres tall, symbolises familial unity through an intricate fingerprint engraving of the homeowners. This impressive pivot door, measuring six metres in height and 2.3 metres in width, is engraved with the homeowners' fingerprints—hers above, his below—symbolising their bond and relationship. Weighing nearly 450 kg, the door embodies craftsmanship and identity, transforming a simple entrance into an architectural statement.

Created by Rangka Indah using CNC technology, the door’s detailed engravings demonstrate precision and intentionality, showcasing artistry in every aspect. Despite its imposing scale, the door moves smoothly and silently, thanks to the FritsJurgens System M+ Type G pivot hinge, which strikes a delicate balance between technological innovation and visual aesthetics. Additionally, this door is designed to endure the harsh marine environment of Pantai Mutiara without compromising its striking visual appeal.

Designer & Manufacturer: L'atelier Arman Safavi

Score: 39

The Bridge-ette pivot door is an architectural masterpiece that combines function, transparency and aesthetic sophistication. Serving as the entrance to Bridge-ette Villa, the approach features guests crossing serene ponds on floating stone steps, building anticipation and creating an immersive journey. The door system consists of an active pivot door, 302 cm in height and 160 cm in width, weighing 200 kg, paired with an operable but inactive panel of similar height, yet greater width and weight.

Crafted from European oak with contrasting natural and black stains, the door provides both warmth and structural integrity. A stainless steel substructure further enhances its durability. The active door also incorporates a full-height glass panel, maintaining privacy while offering glimpses into the villa’s interior, thereby serving as an interactive transition element. Additionally, mirror panels on the interior add functional value and reflect the luxurious space within. This door is a testament to the ability of pivot systems to seamlessly blend artistic expression with practical considerations.

Designer: AMAA - Collaborative Architecture Office For Research And Development
Manufacturer: Fiorotto Design

Score: 35

The Caffè Nazionale door embodies a historical homage paired with contemporary precision. Handcrafted from burnished steel, the door’s materiality honours both the historical legacy of its site and modern sensibilities. Serving as a symbolic threshold, it delineates the boundary between interior and exterior, creating a division that is temporal, cultural and spatial.

Designed to blend with its surrounding architectural context, the diamond-shaped geometry of the burnished steel reflects the locale’s productive heritage. The careful recovery of existing layers, along with precise material additions, further underscores a restorative architectural approach, fostering a dialogue between the past and present.

Designer & Manufacturer: Art Boulle
Photographer: Vladimir Kevorkov Photography
Hardware: Bridgeport Worldwide

Score: 31

The Sunburst door, crafted from solid mahogany and complemented by intricate metal castings, is inspired by classical sunburst motifs often seen in historical architecture. The detailed metal castings evoke depth and texture, transforming the door into an artistic representation of light and radiance. The integration of wood and metal showcases a successful juxtaposition of warmth and intricacy, with the sunburst design symbolising the extensive use of glass throughout the house, enhancing the visual impact of sunlight entering the home. The casting process used to incorporate the metal elements ensures precision and coherence with the overall design, celebrating craftsmanship at the intersection of art and utility.

Designer: Deboke Associates
Manufacturer: PHD Group Australia
Hardware: Bellevue Architectural
Photographer: Creative Property Marketing

Score: 23

The Oatlands door, standing at an impressive 6.5 metres tall, features a seamless powder-coated finish that enhances its elegance while providing resilience. With aluminium battens arranged in a 32mm x 32mm configuration on both sides, the door’s refined metallic allure, achieved through Dulux Precious Steel Pearl Satin, accentuates the sophistication of the entrance. Set against a backdrop of marble flooring and sheer curtains, the door commands a sense of grandeur, emphasising material contrasts that establish a luxurious and inviting aesthetic.

The interior category celebrated innovative approaches to integrating pivot doors into complex spatial arrangements. The winning entries stood out for their ingenuity in balancing functionality with high levels of aesthetic integration, achieving harmony with the surrounding architectural elements.

Designer & Manufacturer: Alberto Tacchi Arredamenti

Score: 44

The custom-designed door, seamlessly integrated into an angled oak wall, serves as a study in material transformation and spatial fluidity. The door leans forward at a 76° angle and its thickness gradually increases from 60 mm at the base to approximately 650 mm at the top. This complex design creates a sculptural form, subtly blending with the overall architectural composition. The continuity of material and the creative adaptation of the inclined wall required an advanced understanding of engineering, material behaviour and spatial geometry, showcasing the door not only as a functional passage but as an integral art piece that responds dynamically to its surrounding context.

Designer: AMAA - Collaborative Architecture Office For Research And Development
Manufacturer: Fiorotto Design

Score: 39

The Caffè Nazionale pivot door, crafted from micro-perforated stainless steel, evokes a sense of curiosity through the interplay of light and texture. The undulating surface, comprised of zigzagging steel sheets, serves as a translucent screen, revealing various depths beyond its surface.

With a design that remains handleless, the door maintains continuity within the spatial narrative, blending seamlessly with the wall. The translucent properties of the material create a captivating sense of layering, inviting individuals to experience a shifting perception of space.

Designer: Blainey North & Associates
Manufacturer: THIS - Total Home Improvement Services

Score: 33

Positioned as the focal element of an expansive penthouse, the New York City pivot door harmonises a variety of materials, including polished metal, marble, speciality glass and LED lighting. The goal was to seamlessly integrate the door into the stepped marble and illuminated surroundings, thus enhancing its visual impact and making it part of a cohesive design narrative. This pivot door pushes the limits of functional and aesthetic requirements, featuring elements such as a soft-close mechanism, ADA-compliant clearance and independent LED lighting operation regardless of the door's position.

Designer: GOOS Architekten
Manufacturer: Tischlerei Großegger

Score: 30

The DoorLoop pivot door represents an innovative solution that functions as an invisible division within the space. On one side, it features wall panelling that continues across the door, creating a unified appearance. The opposing side features a mirrored surface that dramatically enhances the visual impact by blending art and function, creating a striking illusion. This pivot door thus embodies the convergence of functional utility with artistic expression, turning an otherwise utilitarian element into a transformative feature of the space.

Designer & Manufacturer: Volta Arquitectura

Score: 26

Integrated into a monolithic stone wall, the Hidden Stone Door offers a seamless transition between spaces while achieving high acoustic performance. The project features a series of 15 hidden doors, each integrated into stone structures and providing access to meeting rooms.

Equipped with vertical rubber seals and guillotine systems, the doors achieve an impressive level of acoustic isolation, reinforcing the architectural design's dual aesthetic and functional purposes.

The speciality applications category highlighted creativity in using pivot doors to redefine spaces with unique architectural challenges. Winning projects demonstrated how pivot doors could go beyond traditional settings, incorporating unconventional materials, forms and uses to create transformative architectural features.

Designer & Manufacturer: Studio Make
Hardware: Bridgeport Worldwide

Score: 46

The Cage, inspired by the rich textures of Arizona's desert landscape, combines an innovative aesthetic with structural integrity. Crafted from randomised steel pipes of varying diameters, lengths and patterns, the door embodies the mysticism of desert flora, particularly cacti.

This intricate installation creates a kaleidoscope of light and shadow, resulting in a functional art piece. The precise use of materials and the incorporation of 1.6 kilometres of steel pipe and approximately 50,000 welds demonstrate a commitment to both craftsmanship and conceptual execution, ultimately producing a door that functions as both a sculpture and an entrance.

Designer: Lukas Imhof Architektur
Manufacturer: Hechelmann Schreinerei
Hardware: Immer AG
Photographer: Hannes Heinzer Photography

Score: 41

The Atelier M.H. project redefines flexibility and adaptability within an architectural space. The series of pivot doors and movable panels allow for temporary divisions in a loft-style apartment, facilitating its use as a studio or workspace while maintaining openness when desired. This adaptability is achieved through 10 doors and 12 panels, clad in walnut on one side and mirrored or painted on the other. The interplay between materials, lighting and spatial adaptability offers a sophisticated architectural approach to transforming environments.

Designer: Sujiva Architects
Manufacturer: Rangka Indah
Hardware: Habitus Concept

Score: 37

The IGR2 House draws inspiration from traditional Chinese folding screens, embodying a narrative approach to both functionality and artistry. Crafted from Merbau wood and featuring intricate wallpaper inlays, each door in this project reflects the storytelling characteristic of ancient Chinese design.

The use of folding screens as both functional and decorative elements evokes a cultural depth, transforming the space into an engaging and meaningful environment.

Designer & Manufacturer: Trend Thermal Windows & Doors Sdn Bhd

Score: 30

The DK Residences door stands at seven metres tall, embodying a minimalist design that facilitates a seamless transition between interior and exterior environments. The use of black aluminium combined with expansive glass panels creates an atmosphere of openness, allowing natural light to fill the space while maintaining privacy.
Video credits Trend Thermal Windows & Doors (https://youtu.be/SGolEyt0NV4)
The glass features advanced treatments for energy efficiency, ensuring comfort while supporting a sustainable approach to design.

Designer: Juneau Architects
Manufacturer: Steel Traditions
Hardware: Bridgeport Worldwide

Score: 25

This thermally broken arched pivot door serves as a visually striking entrance to a wine cellar. It is designed to provide optimal insulation in temperature-controlled environments.
Video credits Juneau Architects (https://youtu.be/k-qrun5DVIA)
The door’s thermally broken technology enhances its structural design, ensuring that the functional demands of a cellar are met without compromising its aesthetic appeal. The door’s integration into the arched architectural frame complements the overall design narrative, merging engineering with elegance.

The winners and nominees of this year’s contest have made it an inspiring showcase of pivot door design. Their projects push the boundaries of architectural expression, seamlessly combining artistry, engineering, and utility.

Readers are invited to explore these extraordinary projects and discover how the winners are redefining what a pivot door can be. More information is available through the link in the bio, with updates to follow as the celebration of design excellence continues.

Submissions Open for the Best Pivot Door Contest 2025

The search for the world’s finest pivot doors continues. Architects, makers, and designers are encouraged to submit their standout projects and become part of an elite group shaping the future of pivot door design.

Submit a project for 2025.