Groninger Forum with FritsJurgens inside
In 2007, a professional jury and the residents of the city of Groningen chose the design of what would become one of the city’s most prestigious buildings: the new Groninger Forum.
This new building was to be a meeting point for all residents, young and old, and would feature a variety of different spaces such as a library, cafes, cinemas, a museum and exhibition spaces. The building opened in November 2019, and the design of both the interior and exterior exceeded all expectations.
High-quality designs
The design of the building, realized by NL Architects, was chosen from seven proposals submitted by international architectural firms. The term “eye-catcher” expresses the building mildly: it is 45 meters high, consists of ten floors and a roof terrace, and can be admired from the meadow area.
Local interior designers at Harryvan Interior Design created virtually the entire permanent interior of the Forum, designed by DeMunnik-DeJong-Steinhauser architects and &Prast&Hooft. They also made seven pivot doors on different floors, and the FritsJurgens System M pivot door hinge was used in all the doors. Product Manager of Large Doors at Harryvan Interior Construction, Collin Hamming: “FritsJurgens pivot door hinges are high quality products. When we make something, it’s the best quality we want to work with.”
Words by the architect
The Forum’s 17,000 square meters and the forms inside are described by their creators at NL Architects as “stacked squares,” “horizontal tentacles” and “a search engine. Between the two towers is a large open space traversed by escalators – the atrium.
NL Architects: “This atrium is a spatial ‘interface’ and links all of the building’s facilities, improving the confrontation of opinions and the exchange of knowledge and ideas. In a sense, the Forum is like a built-in version of Wikipedia. It is set up as a “search engine. You can endlessly ‘surf’ through the building. Those who do so can expect to find much more than they had counted on.”
Special application
Two completely different types of pivot doors were both perfectly executed: a bamboo row of doors closes or opens a private café and two extra-large felt-lined doors provide peace and quiet for hard workers.
In one of the towers on the 8th floor of the Forum, you will find two felt-lined pivot doors. They close off a study and work space and have a special additional function: they are soundproof. The 1 cm thick layer of felt covering the doors is made from recycled PET bottles, a lightweight material that blocks sound and provides good acoustics. It is cut out to playfully create the phrase “you have the right to remain silent. FritsJurgens’ System M pivot door hinge was used in both doors. Collin: “The hinges are fully integrated into the doors and therefore invisible. User-friendliness and design with the ultimate luxurious look.”
Smart installation
One of the reasons Harryvan works with FritsJurgens pivot door hinges is the ease with which the doors can be installed. In just four steps, the door is in the right place, ready for use. Collin: “Installing the door can be done quickly. Here the same specialists often install the doors. The systems have high usability because they are so easy to apply.”
Installing a door with a FritsJurgens pivot door hinge is always done in four steps: measuring, mounting the floor plate, mounting the ceiling plate and installing the door. When System M is applied, the movement of the door can be adjusted as desired with Damper Control. This gives you control over the strength of the hydraulic opening damping and soft-close function. Absolute control with FritsJurgens Inside.
The Newsroom is attached to a large hall, the Rabo Hall, which is used for events, conferences and concerts. The Newsroom has its own bar and is used for catering events in the Rabo Room. Several windows provide great views of the city of Groningen.
The Newsroom’s four tall bamboo pivot doors were made by Harryvan and all equipped with System M pivot door hinges by FritsJurgens. Made of the same material as the hall and spiral staircase, the pivot doors disappear smoothly when closed. It is a wonderful example of how a swivel wall can transcend its function as a passageway.
These two types of pivot doors in the Groninger Forum have completely different designs and show the versatility of what can be created with the concept of the pivot door. Light or heavy, large or small, understated or exuberant: unlimited design possibilities with FritsJurgens Inside.
