Inspired by a house in the neighbourhood designed in 1972 by Porebski Architects, the owner decided to turn to the same firm for the design of his own home in Castlecrag, Australia. The result is a modern compact villa set in a garden that hides it from view from the outside. One of the building’s essential and distinctive features is the entrance: although hidden from the view of passers-by, the driveway and the large pivoting copper door give the observer an immediate idea of the style of the interior. The pivoting door is an integral part of an architectural palette of concrete blocks (off-form concrete), copper and wood. Impressive in size alone, with its gleaming surface, the large entrance door provides guests with a sumptuous welcome both day and night.
The use of a single material, copper, both externally – as cladding and for the gutters – and for the pivoting entrance door, ensures architectural continuity between exterior and interior. Copper is a beautiful material with very interesting qualities: a material whose appearance, depending on the patina that covers it and the agents to which it is exposed, can change considerably over time. Due to its ductility, copper is well suited for use on pivot doors, for example, as a cladding, as was the case here where it was applied to two solid 40 mm panels.
The size of the entrance also had an influence on the choice of door; its weight and dimensions naturally led to the choice of a FritsJurgens hinge system. FritsJurgens System M and System M+ hinges are able to support doors of significant weight and size, ensuring that they always move smoothly and perfectly controlled.
The importance of doors and entrances in the economy of a home and the experience of those who live in it can never be underestimated: doors connect spaces together, determining their scale and proportions; and, often, an entrance door defines, and anticipates, the stylistic code of the rest of the home.
In linking the rooms of a building together, doors not only serve a practical function: they help to create space, both visually and intangibly. A door can transcend its function as a doorway and become a centre of interest, as in the case of the large pivoting copper front door of Castlecrag House.
Location: Castlecrag | Australia
Project: Porebski Architects| Chippendale (AUS)
Builder: Cumberland Building
Year: 2017
Product: Cerniera pivot invisibile System M+
Company: FritsJurgens
Photo credits: Peter Bennetts
Click here to see many more interesting pivot door projects made with FritsJurgens systems: www.fritsjurgens.com/it/ispirazione
For more information visit: www.fritsjurgens.com/it/cerniere-a-bilico
