The definition is deceptive. Yes, revolving doors provide a pretty good weather seal, but but, the doors are inconvenient and impractical in almost every installation they are found. Large groups have great difficulty getting through them in a short amount of time, given that only one person can move though the door at once. The benefit of using the door versus the amount of time it actually takes to enter a building is way out of proportion. Revolving doors are also unfriendly to the handicapped. Nobody with crutches, let alone a wheel chair can enter or exit through the cramped compartments. It also alienates the elderly, some of whom are too weak or frail to push the door, and others who are intimidated by the technology. And what about people carrying bulky objects or rolling bags? To successfully enter and push the door while carrying something requires far more coordination and concentration than it should. This all leads me to believe that every building with a revolving door also needs to have a regular door for patrons with special needs. If this is the case, then what’s the point of having the revolving door in the first place?
The only benefit I see in having such a door is that it keeps wind out and regulates temperature better than standard swinging doors, thus saving energy. It’s a good concept overall, but the cons of revolving doors significantly outweigh any pros they might present. The same results could be met with the typical two sets of double doors with a small foyer in between, right? Add a handicapped button that opens the door automatically and it’s even more accessible! Even automatic sliding doors would help, though they do not really help the energy problem (and sliding doors have their own problems, but that’s a whole other rant). If temperature and wind control are really the only benefits to revolving doors, I strongly urge building owners to find more creative ways to compensate for the energy cost. I’m a green freak, and love anything to do with energy conservation, but I’m also an advocate for not putting people in peril every time they enter or exit through one of these “green alternatives”, which brings me to my next point.
When you use a revolving door, you put your life and the life of others at serious risk. You don’t think about it, but revolving doors are spinning deathtraps and in rare cases, guillotines. One of the distinct features of the revolving door is that it only spins in one direction (usually counter-clockwise, but maybe not in the southern hemisphere). Picture an overworked businesswoman leaving work late on a Friday night. There aren’t many people around. Typing frantically on her Blackberry and not paying attention to her surroundings, she walks to the lobby door as usual, pulling out her umbrella since it’s raining outside. She hastily enters the door compartment with the closed umbrella sticking out. Not paying attention, she pushes on the door and it spins, but catches on her umbrella. Since the brilliant design of the door prevents it from turning backwards, she is trapped until a passerby hears her desperate cry for help. It could happen to anyone…
In fact, something very similar happened to me on February 16, 2007. Basically the same as the story above, except with a soda can getting blown in between the door and the exterior. Since I am a hardcore geek at heart, I updated my Twitter account instead of calling for help. The following was tweeted while captive:
