Design Middle East visits the Museum of the Future, and explores Bauporte, Gulf’s doors and entrance systems in greater detail

The Museum of the Future has recently succeeded in being ranked by National Geographic as one of the 14 most beautiful museums in the world. Dubai has, once again, built an iconic, world-class monument that is certain to become the next cultural landmark of this ever-changing city. But let’s focus on some of the construction and design elements that have contributed to it being considered one of the most sophisticated building innovations of recent times. Design Middle East was given the opportunity to take a closer look at the futuristic door and entrance systems of the museum and why these are important to the overall look and feel of the building as well as how they will contribute to the visitor experience where first and last impressions count.

ADORNED WITH ARABIC CALLIGRAPHY
The first thing visitors will notice about this architectural marvel is the exterior structure is adorned with Arabic calligraphy. Some of Sheikh Mohammed’s most iconic quotes are presented here, including: “We may not live for hundreds of years, but the products of our creativity can leave a legacy long after we are gone,” and “The future belongs to those who can imagine it, design it, and execute it… The future does not wait… The future can be designed and built today.”

Not only is it stunning but the unconventional torus-shaped museum is also futuristic and has a deep meaning behind its design. Dubai-based architectural firm Killa Design won the design competition for the museum in 2015 and devised the shape. According to the architect, the solid part of the structure represents the knowledge we have today. The void in the middle represents what we do not yet know, so in other words – the future.

EXPERIENCES FOR EVERYONE
Once officially opened, expansive exhibitions spread over four floors will provide presentations on the possible futures of outer space development, ecosystems and bioengineering, as well as human health and wellness.

Focussing on the doors and entrance systems of the museum, Design Middle East spoke to Paul Haslam, partner at Bauporte Gulf in Dubai. Bauporte was invited to become the project’s preferred entrance supplier and designed and manufactured the extra-tall automatic revolving doors and pivot doors for the two main public entrances of this iconic building. With roots extending back 100 years, the brand is an expert at designing and manufacturing custom-made automatic doors at their German factory and offering a full range of revolving, pivot, sliding and swing doors, as well as a variety of other bespoke all-glass fa ade features. Other iconic projects handled by these global entrance experts include the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam and the award-winning Zaha Hadid-designed The Opus building in Dubai.

Why do entrances matter to this building?
 It is often said you only have one chance to make that all-important impression. That’s the ethos that Bauporte Gulf lives by. Extra-tall, automatic, revolving doors are custom-made for each client to create a unique entrance fa ade that’s impactful and memorable for all building visitors. Bauporte was invited by the architect, Killa Design, to create all-glass revolving and pivot doors that seamlessly blend into the high and expansive glass fa ade, but at the same time, are extra-tall and make a statement in themselves.

How do extra-tall entrance doors change the user experience?
Extra-tall revolving and pivot doors are game-changers. They enable architects and designers to realise fully integrated entrance facades where tall, revolving doors are a crucial element for creating that exceptional building user experience. Normally building entrances are a functional utility you pass through without noticing. However, oversized doors from Bauporte present the opportunity to create something entirely different and special. Due to their size and scale, Bauporte tall doors and entrances create a wow factor of their own. The impressive all-important first impression is guaranteed to effectively convey not only the quality and design intent of a building but give an insight as to what might lay behind Every special building needs a unique entrance and this has always been the core mission at Bauporte Gulf, with the perfect example being the Museum of the Future project.

What type of doors were supplied for this project?
With this project, Bauporte Gulf launched its oversized, automatic revolving door in the Middle East for the first time. These are the tallest all-glass, revolving door options currently available in the Gulf region. At five metres tall, these unique all-glass revolving doors are almost double the height of a standard revolving door. They were introduced by Bauporte Gulf to fill the gap in the market for high impact and seamless entrance fa ades for commercial buildings, such as office blocks, hotels and museums. Bauporte Gulf’s entire revolving door range is custom-designed and tailor-made for each client and incorporates light-weight stainless steel frames, together with a revolutionary, single-operator, drive system to optimise energy efficiency.

Paul Haslam, partner a Bauporte Gulf in Dubai

What options are available?
Bauporte’s oversized, revolving doors are available throughout the Middle East with all-glass, revolving and pivot door product options suited to modern and futuristic building designs. However, other models featuring wood finishes or embedded lighting systems are also available and are custom-made at Bauporte’s manufacturing plant in Germany. All width and height variants are also available. Bauporte Gulf works closely with architects to ensure form and function of every door produced are fully customised and aligned with the building’s specific character, creating a cohesive effect consistent with the original design theme.

What about door safety standards and maintenance?
Bauporte supplies doors that comply with safety standard EN16005 for automatic doors which guarantees user safety when using automatic entrance solutions. To minimise the risk of an accident or entrapment, automatic doors must contain safety sensors and door operators that communicate with each other continuously. Bauporte delivers entrance solutions that meet these strict international regulatory requirements. Proper regular preventative maintenance of automatic doors is also important to reduce unnecessary wear and tear and to identify the need for minor repairs in advance of an inconvenient breakdown. Bauporte Gulf also provides a comprehensive annual maintenance service in the UAE designed to ensure the continued safety of users and protect automatic doors from the rigours of day-to-day use, providing building managers with a breakdown- free solution.

Entrances with wow appeal
The museum is due to open in late 2021, in its fibreglass-and-steel form covered in Arabic calligraphy. Visitors will pass through the stunning all-glass Bauporte tall revolving and pivot doors, and the exhibition space will hold exhibits on design and technology innovations, while the exterior will glow at night using a series of LED lights. A truly iconic new international landmark has been created for not only Dubai and the UAE, but the entire Gulf region.