The design is reminiscent of the outward movement of sound waves, integrated with directional and musical symbols. The large pierced stainless steel disc of the handle has a matt surface that is pleasant to the touch. A tiny detail, identical to the design of the large steel disc, is set beneath a small glass dome at the centre of the handle.

As this commission developed, the technical means of opening and closing the door altered but the design of the handle never changed. The original commission was for a ‘door touch plate’ in metal, to function for the unsighted and the sighted, to be both felt and seen. Now the door opens and closes by means of a sensor, as well as by touch. The handle is double sided – the same inside and outside.

Although the door handle is large, in my drawings it looked small. It is mounted on a large expanse of plate glass, positioned to the right hand of the door, in the place where you would expect to find it. An exact circular ghost image was acid-etched to the left of the metal handle, to create an even visual balance. The glass doors to either side have the same circular etched design, split into two sections and made huge. This device was not envisaged in the original brief but, as it helped to create a unified frontage for the entrance of the building, Associated Architects were happy to incorporate it in their scheme.

PAIR OF DOOR HANDLES
TWO PAIRS OF ETCHED GLASS DOORS
STAINLESS STEEL AND GLASS
1998
CITY OF BIRMINGHAM SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA, REHEARSAL ROOMS
DIAMETER OF HANDLE: 44 CM
PHOTOGRAPHS: PAUL HIGHNAM

Back to main index