"reception"

Acrovyn by Design from Construction Specialties, was chosen for the Royal Melbourne Hospital in Victoria. The overall objective of the main entrance redevelopment was to transform a dark, chaotic space with low ceilings and multiple reception points into a light and welcoming entry; facilitating the daily movements of patients, visitors, volunteers and staff efficiently by providing clear way-finding.

Alspec’s® Hawkesbury Commercial Multi-Fold Doors along with ecoWALL225® Flush Glazed Framing accentuates the key features of the open-air main pavilion which houses reception, plus the bar and dining areas, where subtle creativity pervades in bespoke sculpture and light installations. The featuring colours are those of natural elements and the bright staff are pure Byron in their cheery welcome and smart casual uniforms.

After nearly 100 years of serving the local community, the Petersham RSL club moved to a new home this year, in a redevelopment centred on style and comfort. Part of the design brief for the architects and developers was that the indoor spaces were comfortable for guests, particularly in reception, which can often feel the effects of wind and debris entering through open doors. The developers chose a fully automatic Tourniket revolving door from Boon Edam Australia to make a grand first impression to the classy new club, which was recently opened by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. It is the same type of cost-effective entrance used by leading hospitality venues globally to protect patrons and workers against wind, weather, and pollution, while also controlling traffic flow and opening up new sheltered areas for productive amenities. Petersham RSL CEO, Danny Fitzgerald, said “The Boon Edam revolving door creates an impressive entrance to our modern club, and was the perfect fit for our redevelopment. With this door, Boon Edam met two key specification requirements – enhancing climate control inside the club, and enhancing personal comfort in the reception area.” A welcoming entrance The 3-wing Tourniket revolving door pictured has a height of 2,650mm and diameter of 2,800mm to allow ample room for entry and egress. It has four LED warm white downlights for a pleasant and welcoming experience. A powder coated black grey finish on the exterior of the door allows it to effortlessly blend in with the building’s overall aesthetic and design. Boon Edam Australia Managing Director Michael Fisher says that a major benefit of revolving doors is that they allow visitors and staff alike to enter into a new world inside – one that is calm, quiet, and protected against allergens and climactic extremes. “In addition to customising the door to the club’s aesthetic preferences, we worked closely with Petersham RSL to deliver the doors within a complex installation involving temporary doors while other elements of the façade and reception were completed, prior to the arrival and installation of the revolving door,” he said. Boon Edam Australia is a part of the globally leading revolving door manufacturer, Royal Boon Edam, and the door selected by the Petersham RSL is a type already used by architects, builders and specifiers for Fortune 500 companies globally and for major Australian hotels, clubs, banks, offices, legislatures, and buildings. “The teams worked well together, and the result was an outstanding front façade and entrance, which will have a long-term impact on climate control and comfort,” said Fisher. Always Open, Always Closed A key benefit of revolving door systems in addition to access control is energy conservation, with their “always open, always closed” functionality providing lower HVAC losses while increasing the temperature stability and comfort of people inside. These advantages have been proven in many of the world’s leading clubs, hospitals and hotels, where visitor comfort is paramount. “Think about how much air escapes when a sliding door opens, or how much dust, pollution, or pollen can enter the front reception area. With a revolving door, only one quadrant of air is moving around each time, providing a highly effective method of controlling the indoor climate,” said Fisher. Further economy and versatility are provided where required by night locking entrance options including electromechanical locks that can be unlocked with a key or by means of an optional key impulse switch.  “These climate control features are not always considered at the design stage, so Petersham RSL has shown great foresight by specifying these outcomes early,” added Fisher.

Mauritshuis is located in the heart of The Hague. It is famous around the world for its premium art collection. The intimate museum rooms of this 17th century monument display over two hundred excellent art works by Dutch and Flemish Masters. Boon Edam installed two special revolving doors in the museum's newly constructed section, one of which is a Tourniket that is 4.6 m high. The underground entrance foyer is actually located six meters below street level, but now with this renovation, as daylight penetrates from all sides, it feels very light and spacious. “Before the renovation, the museum’s entrance on the side of the building was rather cramped,” says architect Hans van Heeswijk at the press preview. In order to create a more generous reception area, he decided to move the main entrance under the forecourt of the listed, seventeenth-century Dutch Classicist house, which had to remain exactly the way it was. It was a feat in itself to connect two buildings underground and to lower the foundation of the new wing. The small surface area and the building's location right next to the Prime Minister's tower made this construction project quite complex. Boon Edam was honoured to supply two special automatic revolving doors that had to suit the new museum wings perfectly.

SAS International bespoke metalwork comprising of a striking waveform shaped ceiling was designed by architects Arup Associates to feature in the construction of Ropemaker Place, London EC2 for British Land. Simon Anson, architect at Arup Associates comments; “The purpose of the ceiling was to provide the 10.5m tall entrance foyer with an acoustic performance, and create a lighting source providing both uplight and downlight. The illuminated ceiling provides the entrance foyer with visual impact from views of City Point Plaza, Ropemaker Street and The City.” Simon Anson continues, “The appearance of the ceiling is that of a series of illuminated vaulted waves flowing into the interior, the volume of the space perceptually expanded by the uplit waveform surfaces. The vaulted ceiling with its flowing contours provides a visually stunning focal point as well as a practical solution to the acoustic requirements of the interior of the building.” Specialist bespoke wave ceilings were installed in the atrium, main reception area, lift lobbies and main external canopy. The waveform panel, although elegant in appearance, had to have the required strength to support the light fitting. The extra weight posed a significant design challenge of how to integrate and support the light fitting into the waveform panel. The complex design required all fixings to be concealed, as a large proportion of the face and rear of the waveform tiles are visible. In the design development and installation of the system, Arup Associates worked closely with SAS International and the specified lighting manufacturer, Zumtobel, to ensure the panels integrated seamlessly with the luminaires to produce the optimum installation.

Ferrero’s new global HQ gathers in one building with nearly 1,300 people, previously spread over five different offices. The building, with a total floor space of almost 30,000 m², opened in December 2019. The building is designed to evoke the atmosphere of an Italian square: a vast atrium is surrounded by two multi-storey office wings. Boon Edam was appointed to craft and install the golden revolving door, on behalf of facade builder Groven + Portal, who in turn worked for general contractor Felix Giorgetti. The colour of the revolving door makes a visual reference to the world-famous golden chocolate - Ferrero Rocher. The Casa Ferrero administrative building consists of two blocks built on a common basement. It was the combination of these plots, and the architectural skills, that resulted in what you see today: a building that is both impressive and elegant as well as being a pleasant and functional workplace for the employees of the food group. Ferrero’s colours are subtly incorporated into the classic facades, with bronze tones and a gilded effect over the windows as well as the entrance glass panels. This effect was achieved by applying a gold-coloured textile fabric to the laminated glass during the project’s construction. Behind the glass facade of the entrance, the most jaw-dropping area of Ferrero’s headquarters unfolds - a central atrium that connects the two blocks and is entirely covered by a glass roof. The spacious atrium is designed to function as a reception and meeting space. Horizontal circulation between the two blocks is facilitated by connecting walkways with a range of 20 meters. The vertical circulation occurs through panoramic glass elevators. The central atrium’s glass-roofed space is open to life within the company and encourages interaction between employees. This 11-storey building, including six upper levels (ground floor + 5 floors) and five lower levels, adapts perfectly to its urban surroundings. The office areas are spread over nine floors, taking advantage of maximum light for the interior space. Levels -3 to -5 include technical areas and parking spaces. Ferrero’s wish was for a functional and pleasant building for everyone who works there. We think they have achieved this in spades!

The new Student Center at Columbia College Chicago, located at 754 South Wabash Avenue in Chicago, opened its doors in the fall of 2019. This brand-new building offers five spectacular stories of spaces for students including music and film-screening rooms, dining options, a fitness centre, a reflection room for meditation and prayer, and event spaces for meetings, performances, and receptions. Columbia College Chicago has a closed campus. In order to enter any building on campus students and staff must have a Columbia ID or visitors must have a valid appointment. The main entrance at the Student Centre is the Tourniket manual revolving door that leads to a public foyer that includes a coffee shop and lounge. Since the speed gates are just past the security desk at the boundary of this area, they serve as a visual and physical indicator of where the public area terminates. Next to the Speedlane Open speed gates, which are notable because they do not have any closing barriers, guards watch as people pass through them to ensure that everyone is scanning their IDs and that the IDs are valid, in which case the speed gate shows a green light. In a situation where a red light shows and the gate alarms, the guard will check the person’s credentials and can try to troubleshoot the ID card. “The decision was really about what creates the least barrier to those entering and exiting the building,” said Dutil. “We don't really want our students to feel like they are overly policed or that our buildings are not accessible to them. So the design of the Open speed gates provided the best solution in terms of controlling access without being obtrusive." Swift Passage While Maintaining Accountability Before the Student Center was built, students entering any campus building would just show their ID to the security officer as they walked past. The administration realised that while this does provide some level of security, it is not foolproof – particularly when many people are entering at the same time for a class. The College’s head of security made the suggestion to install a system that would allow for swift passage of authorised people while maintaining accountability around who enters and exits the building. As anticipated, there was a brief learning curve for the students using the new system. “This was the first system like this on our campus,” said Dutil. “And the first few days that the new Centre was open were also the first few days of school. There were a lot of people new to the campus who required a bit of coaching from guards and our student staff in terms of where to place your card, and to not walk through before you place your card.” Coming Out Ahead of Swinging Doors Dutil confirms that the access systems placed at Boon Edam speed gates are actually outperforming those placed at swing doors across the campus for convenience and adoption. Across the campus, there is a card reader at every swing door entrance of a building where you present your card and a light turns red or green. But oftentimes the card reader is missed, or depending on the placement of the lights and placement of the guard, it can be kind of hit or miss with students walking right by it. “But with the Open speed gates, they're very visible and although they're not a total barrier to entry, they are something that's right in front of you. Because it's very noticable and not easily overlooked, the students have learned pretty quickly to get their ID out. In fact, this was meant to be a test run for the campus to ensure it would be viable and worthwhile for other buildings as well.” Advanced Features Add Value and Flexibility The speed gates have delivered additional benefits beyond basic campus security, according to Dutil. “One of the nice things about a system like this is that we can count visitors to the Student Centre because we get the data of everybody that scans in. So on a busy day for us it's about 2500 people throughout the day. That can range depending on what's going on and what time of year it is. On weekends we're very slow, since there are no classes – maybe 900 to 1200.” “We are a rental venue as well, so we have times where the building is open to non-Columbia College Chicago people for events or other functions. There's a really convenient touch panel right at the security desk called the BoonTouch, where the officer can turn off the turnstiles during those times and then attendees can move through freely without any alarms going off at all.” A New Revolving Door Adds Comfort and Peace of Mind Finally, the Tourniket manual revolving door delivers one additional benefit to the Student Centre, located in a city known for harsh weather. “Revolving doors are always preferred at a building like this that gets a lot of traffic going in and out. We have cold, drafty weather that blows right into our main space at that first floor entry. The revolving door helps to keep the building warm and saves energy and utility costs as well,” said Dutil. “Students feel safe and comfortable entering the building at night,” he concludes. “Our building has a lot of nooks and crannies, and someone can end up alone in a space. And so I think knowing that the only people that are in that building are the ones that are supposed to be there is helpful. Overall, our students appreciate the effort to try to keep them safer.”