The National Law Enforcement Museum in Washington, D.C. needed two door solutions that would allow for high traffic throughput on a daily basis, would fit into the design elements, and would be energy efficient in both hot and cold weather. The museum’s architect chose two Boon Edam Boonassist TQ manual revolving doors with all glass door wings to achieve those goals.
The museum tells the story of American law enforcement. The design and construction of the museum is uniquely modern. First, the 55,000 square foot museum is mostly located underground. The museum’s is only visible via two, all-glass pavilions that mark its presence on the street. While the museum’s exterior is contemporary, with an all-glass facade that allows for ample light, the exterior fits in with the architecture of the other buildings in the area.
“During National Police Week and the weeks leading up to it, we average about 3,000 people a day,” Larson says. “We have a candlelight vigil on one of the nights that is attended by tens of thousands of people on the National Mall, in addition to multiple celebrations during the week. During this peak time, we typically have 150 visitors enter the museum’s doors every 15 minutes.”
The two new Boon Edam Boonassist TQ manual revolving doors are constructed primarily from glass with only a few stainless steel components to ensure structural strength. Their design fits seamlessly with modern glass facades such as the museum’s pavilions, or in more traditional or classic building designs. A Boonassist revolving door has a low-energy drive to assist users as they push the door wings, as well as speed control for safety and automatic positioning back to “home” position when the door is not in use. The positioning feature maximizes the air seal to prevent unwanted air infiltration from the outdoors.
Larson has been impressed with the Boon Edam doors. “The doors are performing at a very high level, standing up to the high visitor traffic, and they look great,” Larson says. “The lighting inside of the doors makes the two glass pavilions really pop, especially at night.”
Larson also notes that the doors are living up to their solid reputation of being highly energy efficient. “They keep the cold air out and the warm air in,” he says. “The doors have good insulation. When people come inside through the doors on a hot day, they get a wonderful breeze of cold air. We want our guests to go through the revolving doors. They’re energy efficient and the museum is a LEED-certified building…which is another reason why we chose the Boon Edam doors.”
Larson says he receives many positive comments from building engineers about the door’s construction, design and aesthetics. “Our building engineer and the building engineers from the surrounding buildings took a very close look at the doors’ construction. They were very impressed by how easily they rotate, yet at the same time, they will stop in a precise place, just like they are designed to do.”
