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Massive Glass Doors

desperately looking for precedents of massive glass doors.

> 12' h, operable(mechanized)

I keep hearing that hardware cannot handle anything heavier/taller without wearing out.

I'm trying to keep one of the cooler features of a project from getting scrapped / v.e.'d

does anything come to mind  ?

 
Mar 27, 12 5:53 pm

I'm probably gonna regret not googling this first, but don't the texas cowboys new football stadium have like a 100' opening glass door/wall or some otp shit like that, yo?

Mar 27, 12 6:30 pm  · 
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t a z

You could look at Jansen for large size folding doors, then try to find a US equivalent.

Mar 27, 12 6:58 pm  · 
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t a z

Comparable US folding/sliding door manufacturers are:

Panda Windows & Doors

NanaWall

Mar 27, 12 7:56 pm  · 
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won and done williams

There are specifiers in this crowd that know more about this jazz than I, but generally you are going to want to look for balanced door hardware. I did a project with 13' glass doors where we wrote a performance spec for balanced door hardware, the jack-ass contractor didn't know what it was, didn't RFI it, and sent us shop drawings for 13' hinged glass doors that we rejected 3 times before he just installed it anyway. We wrote a letter to the Owner telling him that we believed the doors as constructed posed not only a maintenance issue, but a potential danger given the weight of the doors. The doors are still standing three years later, but I would recommend saving yourself the hassle and just using balanced door hardware.

Mar 27, 12 9:29 pm  · 
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I worked for a while in a facade fabricator. A 12' glass door is easy. We could even produce it to withstand a category 5 hurricane as sliding doors. 

Mar 28, 12 12:58 pm  · 
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holz.box

taz,

nanawall is still mostly german (i think some lines are assembled in US, w/ mostly german parts)

Mar 28, 12 5:12 pm  · 
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snook_dude

Marvin Windows has one in there Facility in Warroad Minnesota.  Thing works like melting butter.  Last Nanawall I specified was coming in at around $20,000.0 without the installation.

I saw some great hanging glass sliding doors.  See if I can  find the web site. The product is made in Portland and has Scandinavian names...maybe that is enough of a clue for you to do some sluthing.

Mar 28, 12 5:42 pm  · 
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t a z

holz - true.  

I believe NanaWall is the US subsidiary of Solarlux.  That all being said, not sure what OP is really looking for...

 

Mar 28, 12 6:55 pm  · 
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If this is a US based project I'd look at "Doors in Motion".  There are much cooler products available Europe.  Schuco is making a motorized sliding door for the European Market.  I'd also look at Skyframe and Vitrocsa.  You should also look up Goldbrecht on Youtube.

Mar 29, 12 12:30 pm  · 
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c

thank you thank you !

so, some context, it's a commercial lobby entrance, not residential project. We had originally anticipated massive 20' pivoting doors a la Wyly theater ( it's on you tube, worth a look ) But those are proving too slow and there's operational/ maintenance liability .

Nana wall does 10' max I believe. While it's a great product, it's not a good fit for this project as we want more dramatic height.

Ca$hMoney - those Dallas doors are dope - i wish we could... .

Taz - re Jensen doors- unfortunately application/finish seems too industrial - we are doing a lobby entrance... i just went through their whole pdf anyway , cause they're sweet.

won done  - were those 13' doors custom ?

We have been told to compromise with a 12' 6" door, but that's a big let down after anticipating an 18-20' door.

hopefully we can find something in the 14' or 16 range that has a decent opening mechanism and is not a one-off.

 

 

 

Mar 29, 12 3:04 pm  · 
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snook_dude

The Marvin Door I was looking at in WarRoad Minnesota was and easy 12' high door.

 

Mar 29, 12 3:35 pm  · 
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won and done williams

c, yes, they were custom, I believe by the metal fabricator. Originally we had in mind Ellison balanced doors and maybe even wrote them into the spec; can't recall off-hand. The fact that they ended up being provided by a sub who does not specialize in doors is what made us nervous, i.e. attaching these massive doors to essentially an un-engineered hollow metal door frame with standard hinges. I would look at Ellison or Dawson for custom balanced doors.

I just re-read your post and noticed that you need them mechanized. I'm unsure if balanced door hardware can be used as part of a mechanized system. I don't know why not, but you would need to check with the manufacturer.

Mar 29, 12 3:57 pm  · 
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c

thanks won and snook 

Mar 30, 12 11:43 am  · 
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Via architecture.about.com

Retractable End Zone Doors:

 

  • The 180-foot-wide by 120-foot-high operable glass doors, located at each end of the stadium, are the largest operable glass doors in the world
  • Five 38-foot panels take 18 minutes to open or close

Biggest glass doors in the world means that Texas wins architecture, yo!

 

Mar 30, 12 4:09 pm  · 
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snook_dude

I think these folk have the very best sliding door hardware on the market:

http://krownlab.com

 

I'm hoping to use it in a public art display installation.

Mar 30, 12 5:48 pm  · 
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