Curtain Door, Surat residence, South Gujarat, Western India Building, Indian Architecture Photos
Curtain Door in Surat house
16 Sep 2020
Curtain Door at Surat residence
Design: Matharoo Associates
Location: Surat, South Gujarat, western India
The ‘Curtain Door’ that forms the main entrance to a residence in Surat is designed by the celebrated Indian architecture practice Matharoo Associates.
It is a custom-made and locally assembled solid wood door made of Burmese teak that closes an opening that is 5.20m high and 1.70m wide.
The door leaf is composed of 40 horizontal solid wooden slats measuring 170 × 12.5 × 25cm, each with an individually cut slot through which a wire runs threading together the slats as if on a chain.
160 pulleys and 80 ball bearings are built into the wooden slats to ensure the elements slide over each other smoothly.
At the end of the wire is a counterweight which hangs inside the hollow tube that serves as the pivot axle for the door to make the door gently self-closing and locking.
The symphony of all these parts working in unison transforms the flat plane into a sinusoidal curve with one effortless push.
The member which goes the farthest and gives the curtain its definitive shape is the one fashioned from a single piece of wood; maintaining the language and eliminating the need of auxiliary metal handles.
Another log of wood takes the lock within itself. Away from the hustle bustle of the city, the door gives way to an arresting yet intimate threshold embracing the inhabitants in a warm welcome.
Even as the door draws an “iron curtain” to its integral character, it becomes an artist in the drama of the experience which unfolds.
This innovative architectural design was named winner of the 2009 Architectural Review Emerging Architecture Award.
Curtain Door, Surat residence images / information received 160920 from Matharoo Associates
Location: Surat, South Gujarat, west India
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