World first fire proof revolving door
Heuvel Eindhoven, The Netherlands
, Shopping Mall
Dunnett Craven Architects & van Aken Architecten
Located in the Centre of Eindhoven, a city in the south of The Netherlands, an existing mall, including shops, restaurants, a casino and music hall, takes on an entirely new expression – one which aims to push a complete shopping experience to its visitors: “We think that shopping in the future is going to be much more about the experience rather than just the product you buy and this is what we’re trying to create – starting from the moment you enter the Heuvel from the iconic Bauporte revolving door – it’s the first door in the world to be built in this way,” explains project manager David Visser from client CBRE Global Investors.
The redesign by UK-based architects Dunnett Craven and Dutch practice van Aken Architecten included a new floor and ceiling, new escalators, LED lighting and refitting the entrances. It was required to fit new fire and safety regulations, which had dramatically changed since the building’s construction in 1992. One of the main challenges was how to create the entrance from the car park, the largest in the centre housing around 1200 parking spaces, to the shopping mall. “The current entrance’s revolving door was mechanical, too small and awkwardly positioned, and a simple replacement would not suffice due to current fire regulations. “We needed to meet a 30-minute fireproof door regulation and we didn’t want any exhaust air from the car park to enter the retail areas so we needed an extremely functional solution” At the same time, the entrance was an opportunity to make an impression on our visitors – so we needed a highly aesthetic solution,” explains James Craven from Dunnett Craven Architects. Check out this site for more project images and impressions.
Redefining the entrance
Due to fire regulations the clients and architects needed a revolving glass fire resistant door, requiring a special solution owing to the 3.6m height of the door. Bauporte worked with two glass companies to produce a 30-minute fireproof glass solution. “I was searching for a company that could make this one-of-a-kind door and that’s where Bauporte came in.
They had a smart idea that would achieve fire standards but they went two steps further than we anticipated. They designed a bespoke fire-resistant glass door with collapsible wings and ambient LED lighting in the ceiling,” explains Visser.
“The local fire department said that our solution was far better than any possibilities they had imagined.” Craven adds: “The environmental control was important and the Bauporte team produced thermal studies to prove that the correct temperatures could be controlled directly behind the doors on a winter’s day.”
As well as this unique Bauporte door, the architects are making plans to use these fireproof revolving doors in other parts of the project – reinforcing how continuity in extraordinary quality can add to a unique shopping experience.
The automatic 30 minutes Fire Proof Royal Prestige Revolving Door (RP 4200 AYN MCW FP30) is made with a stainless steel base construction with stainless steel mirror finish cladding.
It has collapsible wings, acting as an emergency exit if calamities occur or in case of fire. At night, the door is able to automatically close against fire and together with a curved drum wall creates a 30-minute fireproof separation.
Additionally, Bauporte developed an overpressure system, in the form of a special air curtain at the base of the door, to prevent exhaust air from the car park entering the mall.
“Heuvel will show what a visual and technological upgrade can do in terms of user comfort and functionality, making it a top example for other retail destinations,” says Visser.