Steel door with wow effect

New pivot door design rises above the crowd

Dare to dream. That is the motto of Studio Kees Marcelis in Oosterbeek. With 36 years of experience and a fine team of interior architects, assistant designers and an architectural draftsman, Kees Marcelis (interior) architect works on the most diverse projects. From villas to houseboats, luxury yachts, offices, showrooms and wellness accommodations. Marcelis invariably works from the inside out and with the personality of the client in mind. Characteristic of his style are tranquility, simplicity and characterful lines. Themes that are also reflected in the steel door with FritsJurgens hinge, which he designed especially for De Rooy Steel Doors.

Marcelis describes himself as a "glutton" who always wants to sketch and design. "I have noticed that I have been focusing on line play for some time and am fascinated by everything related to it," he says. "The trick here is to keep line play from becoming a trick. I like to be challenged to come up with the best designs together with my team and clients. About six years ago I found a good mode for this, which starts with a sketching session of about four to five hours with the client at the table. Indeed, by having continuous contact, thinking out loud and always looking the client in the eye, the best ideas emerge."

Future-proof door design 

These ideas are always original. "I am averse to trends," Marcelis emphasizes. "In my sessions with clients, both the Hungarian point floor and steel doors often come up within fifteen minutes. Now that steel doors are even available at hardware stores, however, this trend is clearly on the wane. Instead, I always try to come up with something original." So even in his conversation with De Rooy Steel Doors, the focus was not on the door an sich, but mainly on the inspiration of (interior) architects and designers. After all, how do you rise above the crowd with new designs? "A large proportion of architects and designers are not creative at all, but need to be inspired. Owner and draftsman Marein de Rooy of De Rooy Steel Doors was clearly triggered by this statement and challenged me to come up with a surprising and future-proof door design."

Special interplay of lines in steel and glass

"On the back of my art calendar, I made numerous door sketches," Marcelis says. "Within a frame 2.5 meters high and 80 to 90 centimeters wide, I set up several line games, then submitted the best designs to Marein and his team. 

Amazing to me, they saw a clear relationship with the designer floor lamp I have designed for Hollands Licht in the past. And they were right! I continued to refine the design, and soon the direction and structure of the glass surfaces got my attention. A type of glass with a line, which I could apply both horizontally and vertically, immediately caught my interest. By letting go of the clarity of the glass and playing with lines, materials and shapes, a unique door design emerged, aptly named Linea."

Marcelis' sketches were developed on the computer into a 3D visualization. "How the glass in the door would turn out, however, was difficult to predict," he says. "So the moment the door was placed in my studio was very exciting. I was not present at the time, but I was forwarded pictures by my co-workers. That's when I knew my idea had succeeded." 

Two variants

Between the entrance hall and office garden of Studio Kees Marcelis, a double steel Linea door was installed with special linear glass surfaces and in a fresh gray-blue hue, which harmonizes nicely with the studio colors. "Complementing this, I developed a bronze version in which glass and wooden surfaces with linear characters alternate," he says. "This door can now be admired in the showroom of De Rooy Steel Doors in Veenendaal. In addition, it is being incorporated in various colors and materials into the designs of three new-build villas."

Minimalist design, maximum flexibility

To guarantee smooth, controlled door movement, De Rooy Steel Doors exclusively uses FritsJurgens' System M+ hinges. And Studio Kees Marcelis also works exclusively with these hinges, which are distinguished by high technical quality and minimalist design. "For mounting, only a floor and ceiling plate of 40 x 80 mm need to be attached," says Marcelis. "As a result, I am very free in my designs. Doors one and a half or two meters wide are no problem at all, which also applies to deviating heights or door weights." 

Also unique are the hydraulic opening damping and adjustable closing damping (soft close), says FritsJurgens project manager Jeroen Iemhoff. "This ensures elegant door movement and minimizes the risk of fingers getting caught in the door. It also protects adjacent walls from impact damage, no matter how much force the door is opened with. Thanks to a profile height of 100 mm, the pivot door runs nicely parallel to the plinth." The double-action door allows for a 180-degree rotation, greatly increasing versatility, he says. "In addition, System M+ is maintenance-free and tested up to 1 million cycles, which guarantees long-term durability and reliability."