Doors
Pivot doors
A pivot door turns on a pivot set into the floor and head instead of hinges on the side, which lets the leaf be far taller and wider than a hinged door. We make bespoke pivot entrance doors for Dubai villas in walnut, oak and teak, with concealed pivot hardware, long pull bars and stone or clad surrounds.
See them move
Pivot doors in motion
Short clips from recent installations. Every door is filmed on site after fitting and adjustment.
Why choose a pivot door
The pivot carries the weight of the leaf from below, so the door can be built at the scale of the facade rather than the scale of a standard opening. The pivot point sits in from the edge, which gives the door its slow, balanced swing and the open gap on both sides that makes it unmistakable.
Pivot doors suit wide entrances, double height halls and modern villas where the door is part of the architecture. They also work inside, as a statement door into a living space.
Our work
Pivot doors we have made
Real doors we have made, photographed on site.
What is a pivot door
A pivot door turns on a pivot set fixed into the floor and the head of the frame instead of hinges on the side. The pivot point sits a short distance in from the edge of the leaf, so the door rotates around an axis rather than swinging from its edge. That changes everything about the door. It can be much wider and taller than a hinged door, because the weight is carried by the floor rather than hung from the frame. It opens with very little effort, because the weight is balanced around the axis. And it has no visible hinges, so the leaf reads as one clean plane.
Pivot doors have become the entrance door of choice for contemporary villas in Dubai, from Dubai Hills and Jumeirah Golf Estates to the Palm, because they make the entrance the main architectural statement of the facade.
Pivot door versus hinged door
A hinged door is limited by its hinges: once a leaf passes around 1200 mm wide or 2700 mm high, the hinges and the frame carry too much weight and the door begins to drop. A pivot door carries its weight on the floor pivot, so leaves of 1400 to 2000 mm wide and 3000 mm or taller are normal. A hinged door needs a frame all the way around; a pivot door can be set into a stone or clad opening with no visible frame. A hinged door closes against a stop on three sides; a pivot door needs a drop seal and brush or magnetic seals, which we specify for every external pivot door. If you want a door wider than a standard opening, a door that opens with a fingertip, or a door that disappears into the architecture, choose a pivot. If you want a conventional frame and the lowest cost door for a standard opening, choose hinged.
Pivot door mechanism and hinges
The mechanism is a floor pivot, a top pivot and, on better systems, a hydraulic self closing unit set into the leaf or the floor. We specify the pivot system by the weight of the leaf, which we calculate from its size and construction on the drawing, and we use systems that hold the door at ninety degrees and close it softly without a visible closer. Offset pivots place the axis 100 to 250 mm from the edge, which gives a comfortable opening and keeps the pull handle clear of the wall. Centre pivots split the leaf in two and are used for very wide feature doors. Every pivot door set we make includes the pivot hardware, the drop seal, the lock and the pull as one package, because a pivot door bought without its system is not a door.
Sizes, weight and the floor
A pivot door needs a solid floor at the pivot point. On a new villa we coordinate with the contractor so the floor pivot is cast into the slab or set into the threshold before the stone is laid. On an existing house we core the floor and set the pivot into a steel plate. Leaves are built on an engineered core with solid timber or veneer faces and a solid lipping all round, so a 3000 mm leaf stays flat through Dubai summers. We confirm the maximum size for your opening at the site measure.
Designs
Most pivot doors we make are flush or grooved walnut, oak or smoked oak with a long brass or black pull bar, set into a travertine or limestone portal. Two tone leaves in veneer and lacquer, metal inlay strips, fluted faces and bookmatched veneer are the other directions. Because the leaf is one large plane, the veneer choice matters more than on any other door; we show you veneer samples at the measure and select the leaves for the grain pattern you want.
Fire rated pivot doors
A pivot door can be fire rated. Where an apartment entrance or a villa opening needs a 60, 90 or 120 minute door and the owner wants the oversized pivot leaf, we make it as a certified set: a fire core leaf with the pivot hardware, closer and seals tested together, finished in the same veneer or paint as the rest of the house, and supplied with the Dubai Civil Defence certificate. See fire rated doors.
Pivot doors inside the house
Pivot doors are not only for entrances. A pivot door between a hallway and a living room, or a pair of pivot doors to a majlis, gives the same clean line inside. Interior pivots are lighter and can be glazed, fluted or finished to match the wall.
Options
Options
Every pivot door is drawn for its opening. These are the decisions we work through with you.
Size and proportion
Tall and wide leaves drawn to the facade. We check the opening, floor build up and head detail on site.
Pivot hardware
Concealed floor and top pivots rated for the weight of the leaf, with options for speed control and positioning.
Face design
Horizontal grooves, bookmatched veneer, flush plain or fluted faces.
Pull and lock
Floor to ceiling pull bars, recessed pulls and smart locks planned into the leaf.
Surround
Stone, clad timber or a clean plastered reveal.
Sealing
Perimeter seals and a threshold detail for external use.
Door designer
Design your door online
Choose the type, size, design, finish, hardware and frame and watch your door drawn live. Send it to us on WhatsApp or by email and we will take it from there.
- Pivot, double, hidden, sliding and more
- Walnut, oak, teak and lacquer finishes
- Pull bars, levers and smart locks
- Sizes in millimetres, ready for a site measure
How we work
From site measure to installation
Four steps, one point of contact, and nothing made until you approve the drawings.
Site measure
We visit, measure the opening, check the wall build up and floor level, and talk through how the door should look and work.
Drawings and samples
You receive shop drawings and physical finish samples. Nothing goes into production until you or your designer approve them.
Made to order
Your door is factory produced to the approved drawings, with production updates as it moves through the build and a quality check before it leaves.
Installed by our team
Our fitting team installs, adjusts and hands over the door, with one point of contact from the first visit to the last adjustment.
Questions
Frequently asked
How big can a pivot door be?
Pivot doors can be built far larger than hinged doors because the weight sits on the floor pivot. The practical limit depends on the opening, the floor slab and the pivot hardware, which we confirm after the site measure.
Do pivot doors work as main doors in Dubai?
Yes, with the right build. We specify a stable engineered core, perimeter sealing and a threshold detail so the door performs as an external entrance.
What does the floor need for a pivot?
The bottom pivot is set into the floor, so we coordinate the floor build up and finishing level with your contractor before installation.
Can a pivot door have a smart lock?
Yes. We plan the lock and the pull bar together in the drawings so the leaf is prepared in production.
How long does a bespoke door take?
Lead time depends on the size, finish, hardware and how quickly drawings are approved. We confirm the programme in writing when you approve the drawings, and keep you updated during production.
Is a pivot door secure?
Yes. A pivot door takes a mortice lock and a multipoint lock like any entrance door, and the pivots themselves are concealed and cannot be removed from outside. We fit smart locks to pivot doors regularly.
Do pivot doors seal against dust and heat?
With the right system, yes. We fit a drop seal at the bottom, brush or magnetic seals at the sides and head, and a threshold detail that keeps dust out. The seal detail is drawn before the door is made.
How wide can a pivot door be?
Residential pivot doors are usually 1200 to 2000 mm wide and up to 3000 mm or more high. The limit is set by the pivot system rating and the floor, which we confirm at the site measure.
Can a pivot door self close?
Yes. Hydraulic pivot systems close the door softly and hold it open at ninety degrees, with no visible closer on the leaf.
Can you replace my existing hinged main door with a pivot door?
Usually, yes. The opening is measured, the floor is checked for the pivot and the new leaf and surround are drawn to suit. The old frame comes out and the new pivot set goes in.
What is the best material for a pivot door in Dubai?
An engineered core faced in walnut, oak, smoked oak or teak veneer, or a lacquer finish, with solid timber lippings. The core keeps a large leaf flat; the veneer gives the look.
Start your project
Tell us about your doors
Send photos and rough sizes on WhatsApp for a first conversation, or book a site measure and we will take it from there.