Walls in transition: Wingburg

In its current special exhibition, the Pergamon Museum in Berlin is showing how the Ishtar Gate made its way from Babylon on the Euphrates to the banks of the Spree in Berlin, following extensive archaeological excavations over a hundred years ago.

The structure once served as the city gate for the capital of Babylonia and originally consisted of the imposing section on display and a second, even larger gate. It was decorated with depictions of lions, serpentine creatures and bulls on glazed tiles and led onto a magnificent processional avenue. The Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar II had the gate built in its ultimate form over 2,500 years ago. Since 1930, it has been on view in Berlin as a reconstruction carefully put together from thousands of parts.

Transitioning from the ancient gate to Wingburg’s interior doors is perhaps a leap. And yet there is something in the historical example that is still relevant today: gates and doors help to define architecture, connecting and separating, inviting or delimiting.

King Nebuchadnezzar II had the Ishtar Gate built three times, one on top of the other, until it achieved perfection. Wingburg, on the other hand, produces perfect doors directly from the factory, albeit with a less imperious and commanding appearance. In fact, just the opposite: if desired, they blend perfectly into the wall in response to contemporary architectural challenges.

For example, to the fact that cities are becoming increasingly cramped or that changing lifestyles require smaller floor plans – which confronts architects and interior designers with new demands and requirements in their approach to space. Today’s living environments need to be compact and well-conceived without seeming constricted.

A significant space-saver is to incorporate sliding doors that run on a track built into the wall. Wingburg offers them both with and without a frame. Thanks to the compact installation system, they disappear almost invisibly into the wall, enabling the surrounding walls to be fully used as floor space – unlike with hinged doors. Valuable square metres can be gained both at home and in hotels – from bathroom doors to partitions between an open-plan living area and the hall.

The Belport sliding door system, for example, is a particularly discreet model without a frame, suited to interiors where uncompromising minimalism is desired. If traditional swing doors and sliding doors are to be combined, Wingburg offers the Cavis model with a visible frame. Both designs can be realised as single or double-leaf sliding door systems, individually adapted to the respective project. In addition to allowing openings up to four metres wide, both ranges are complemented with a number of accessory options – such as the Avantgarde retraction damper, which ensures that the door closes quietly. Or an integrated cable duct that allows light switches, lamps and sensors to be safely and securely installed right next to the door.

Interior designers and planners can enjoy great creative freedom thanks to a choice of wooden or glass doors in number of different hues. Wingburg’s sliding doors can be used as an effective physical and visual partition between different rooms or, when fitted with glass, as a room divider that still allows daylight and views of the adjoining room or hall. Even open-plan living areas can be structured and temporarily closed off in this way, providing a more intimate and cosy ambience when needed and continually redefining the perception of space.

To retrieve the fully retracted door leaf from the wall, it only needs to be tapped gently – using the ‘push-to-slide’ function. The door then slides out a little so that it can be operated with the recessed handle. When installing a door leaf, or should the door be accidentally damaged, the running track is reversible, which means that all components remain easily accessible. Door panels can also be easily hooked in and out and components installed or expanded at a later date, without the need for bulky access panels or having to open up the wall.

Doors are not only the entrance to a room. They are part of the space and determine its beginning and end. Just as in ancient Babylon, first impressions count. Corridors should not be neglected, even if they often play a secondary role. Sliding doors are an excellent choice when it comes to implementing space-saving features, without sacrificing the quality of the living space.

But should a little more space be available, hinged doors from Wingburg’s frameless Kontura system are a great way to positively influence the effect of the room. These can be integrated in the wall up to a height of three metres with an almost seamless appearance, thanks to the optional concealed door hinges. In particular, this serves to visually extend and enlarge rooms with low ceilings. If desired, the door can be completely hidden by designing it as a so-called wallpaper door in exactly the same colour and finish as the wall. Kontura can be operated both by magnetic latch lock and electronic contact lock via the ‘touch to open’ function.

All Wingburg doors are developed and manufactured in the German town of Hövelhof. The word ‘Burg’ in the company’s name – German for castle – and a small crown in its logo lend it a regal air, which is fitting indeed considering the magnificent quality of their products.

© Architonic