Last week I was a panelist for the BOMA Every Building Conference and Expo in Seattle. It was a pretty busy couple of days but I was able to sneak out each day to see a little of the city, or visit the guy who was LockedInAHouse. I LOVED the Pike Place Market…I was there early in the morning as the vendors were bringing in their flowers, seafood, vegetables, etc. for the day, and it was a sensory feast! I wish I could start each day that way.
I sought out some of the most beautiful doors in Seattle, at the St. James Cathedral, completed in 1907. According to the cathedral’s virtual tour, “The ceremonial bronze doors, the work of sculptor Ulrich Henn, depict the journey of humanity towards the heavenly city.”
Transom:
Close-ups of the bronze figures:
Door pull (Jonah emerging from the whale’s mouth):
Top pivot:
Giant bottom pivot with floor closer modification:
Best door stops EVER!!!
Main entrance interior:
A Von Duprin 88 series exit device…but what’s that in the bottom corner??
A couple of other interior doors:
Have you seen any beautiful doors lately? Send me some photos!
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what is in the bottom corner, scrap for the recycling pile
I’m curious how the panel discussion went. Did the letters, F – D – A – I ever come up? And if so, how were they received?
Hi Terry –
BOMA International is the Building Owners and Managers Association (you probably know that but others might not), so the audience was mostly made up of representatives from commercial real estate firms. The panel discussion was about security, and how the property managers can keep their tenants safe and secure, while complying with the codes. They were very interested in recent changes, and I did talk about fire door inspection. Someone contacted me recently from a large commercial real estate firm, to ask if he could use some of my FDAI materials because he was responsible for teaching all of their building engineers about fire doors and FDAI. I think that’s a great sign!!
BOMA has a program called BOMA 360, which is used to evaluate operations and management practices. One of the criteria in the Life-Safety category is “Fire and Life Safety Systems Inspected and Certified Annually.” I am hoping BOMA will expand the definition so that this clearly includes fire doors. You can see the rest of the BOMA 360 criteria here: http://www.boma.org/getinvolved/boma360/Pages/360Criteria.aspx.
– Lori
Hello Lori,
some great doors seen here!!!
from looking at the pivots and the floorplates on the old doors, appear they have a Rixson #27 (a handed floor closer) with a really big floorplate (the valve adjustment holes in the floorplate was what gave away the brand here) the pink cell phone (iphone??) really helped with scale of how big the pivot was.
LOri and Curtis Meskus: as for the little thing in the corner of the one door (the one with the traditional pushbar (VD88) that appears to be a floor bolt, a smaller version of the cane bolt/rod used to latch 2 gates together (driveway gate for example) possible the latch don’t work right on this door or they just want another step of security and added the floor bolt to help secure the door.
-Jess the door closer doctor
Hi Jess –
Curtis and I know that the little thing in the corner is a bolt…we were just mentioning it because it is not code-compliant.
– Lori
Lori,
What is the finish on the Von Duprin 88’s?
Jeff
They look like US10B with the finish worn off the crossbar.
Hi Lori,
THe ceremonial doors at St.James are the work of German sculptor Ulrich Henn, – here is his bio from his website-.
Born 1925 in Schwäbisch Hall, Germany.
Military service after school finals.
American prisoner of war until 1946 in Italy.
During this period first works in wood from ammunition boxes with razor blades.
After his release, six months of work in the studio of Prof. Josef Zeitler, Stuttgart.
Since 1948 independent sculptor, with studio in Stuttgart.
The first comissions for restauration in wood and stone are followed by own works
for churches and public places.
Compelled to change to modelling in wax for bronze sculpturing,
because of an accident to the hand sustained at work.
Until 1974 (since 1962 studio in Leudersdorf/Eifel) more than twenty church portals,
fountains, free-standing sculptures are sculptured for the cities Stuttgart, Worms,
Heilbronn, Kassel, Hildesheim, Eßlingen, Trier und Croyden (England).
Journeys abroad to Italy, Spain, England, Scotland, USA and Canada.
Teaching at Emmerson College, Forest Row, Sussex.
1974: individual exhibition at Browse & Delbanco, 19 Cork Street,
London with focus on small-sculptures.
1975-1987: work on three, three-dimensional double portals for the
National Cathedral in Washington DC and works for Rankweil and Hohenems (Austria).
In the following years works in the cities Herford, Hildesheim, Schwäbisch Hall,
Mainz, Andernach and Meckenheim are produced.
Between 1997 and 2003 a ceremonial portal and a tabernacle for the St. James Cathedral
in Seattle are sculptured.
Just to correctly note when the doors were made.
Great to read your enthusiasm – I love these doors, too I do Artguide tours in Seattle, connecting people with outstanding treasures in Seattle.
Thanks for this information!
– Lori