Secret Portal: 6 Perfectly Seamless Hidden Doors

Architizer's A+Product Awards is open for submissions, with the Extended Entry Deadline fast approaching on Friday, February 23rd. Get your products in front of the AEC industry’s most renowned designers by submitting today.

 

Like windows to a façade, doors are disruptions to a wall. After going to great lengths to craft a smooth yet robust wall, piercing it with a door can create an immediate eye sore. But not always. The architectural fascination with creating perfectly hidden doors has resulted in designs that gracefully disappear into walls. Easily mistaken for seamless cabinets or, more excitingly, a portal to an alternate world, the following designs feature skillfully integrated invisible doors.

Maida Vale soft apartment by MWAI, United Kingdom

At the heart of this Victorian terrace home renovation is a beautifully crafted entrance hall. Frameless passage doors, closets and cabinets are finished in softly textured polished plaster, forming an intricate grid of linear geometry. To achieve this enchanting look, the architects partnered with London-based contractors, Margreiter Limited.

The Screen by DMOA, Bierbeek, Belgium

While The Screen is located on a beautiful plot with endless views, it is also located near a trucking company. As a result, DMOA imagined a design that would act as a shield from their unsightly, noisy neighbor. The stacked brick volume may be entered through a camouflaged pivot door, which is finished in the same masonry as the building’s entire façade.

home 07 by i29 Interior Architects, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

i29 Interior Architects transformed this home from a cramped space with long hallways and excessive partitions, into a spacious, transparent dwelling full of light and air. Now, doors are “barely there” through the use of clear pine wood, which contrasts with the daring kitchen cabinetry composed of floor-to-ceiling laser-cut panels.

Barnham Road by MOCT Studio, London, United Kingdom

After becoming increasingly cramped for a family of six, the owners decided to re-plan and enlarge their suburban London home. MOCT Studio pooled the living spaces into a new side and rear extension beneath a dynamic faceted roof. Birch timber panelling and joinery is used throughout the interior, creating a warm and unified aesthetic. Hidden doors, which allow unbroken paneling across rooms, lead residents from the central space to utility and storage areas.

MFG by EVEQUOZ FERREIRA, Grimisuat, Switzerland

Located on a sunny, elevated plot in the Rhône Valley, this sculptural concrete house resembles a rock in the landscape. The interior spaces are organized around a central nucleus on the first floor, and are held together by simple materials: white painted walls and oak floors. Concealed frameless doors are finished in the same slate finish as the minimalist kitchen cabinetry.

Apartment In The Sun by LOFT4C, Spain

Apartment In The Sun is a rooftop home that overlooks the Mediterranean Sea. With few boundaries between interior and exterior, the precise execution of flexible spaces was a central goal of this design. Invisible doors, built in furniture and subtle materials contribute towards achieving a seamless zen-like feel.

Architizer's A+Product Awards is open for submissions, with the Extended Entry Deadline fast approaching on Friday, February 23rd. Get your products in front of the AEC industry’s most renowned designers by submitting today.