The Gatekeepers of London 1
A Guide to London Doors
I NSTG066: Applied Creativity & Content ~ 15076642 ~ Word Count: 2714
The Gatekeepers of London
Introduction London Doors
Door a hinged sliding or revolving barrier at the entrance to a building
D
oors are defined as moving structures used to block off and allow access to the entrances of buildings. Yet the meaning of doors reaches far beyond the dictionary definition. They are also gatekeepers of hidden worlds, artefacts of history, symbols of architecture and statements of style. Doors are both entrances and exits, opportunities and hindrances, guardians and welcomers. The people, stories and histories that lurk on either side of them make up the fabric of a city. Step into the world of London’s remarkable doors, capturing and reflecting the city’s atmosphere, culture and history. With their extraordinary styles, glorious features and vibrant colours, the doors have become symbols of London Life – a unique blend of iconic tradition and cutting-edge innovation. London is famous for its eclectic mix of Georgian, Victorian, Edwardian, Regency and modern doors that adorn the city and attract millions of tourists each year. Panelled Georgian doors with glazed fanlights are seen dotted along the streets of Clapham, Blackheath and Chalk Farm, whilst the iconic white or dark-coloured Victorian doors or wealthy Londoners line the pristine parks in Chelsea and Kensington. The Natural History Museum and St Pancras Station embody the Victorian architecture spotted in many of London’s elaborate doors. In contrast, simple five-panelled Edwardian doors inhabit the leafy suburb of Hampstead, representing suburban London life. They are the focal point of a London home and often accentuate and highlight the character of the building. According to the latest property research, it takes merely eight seconds for someone to decide whether they like a house or not. Four of these seconds are spent looking at the front door! The wide range of doors reflects the various facades of London life, accommodating the people and acting as a setting for their lives. Doors have played a distinctive historical and cultural role since ancient times. Historically, the Roman god of doors, Janus, embodies beginnings, endings, transitions and time. In literature and the arts, doors are frequently used as metaphorical and allegorical symbols of the unknown, gateways, change and opportunity. Traditionally, stories open with a literary hero who passes through a door to mark the beginning of his treacherous journey. Today, doors also assume a prominent role in our everyday language. We use them in metaphors and idiomatic expressions to convey love (“he opened the door to his heart”), support (“my door is always open”), healing (“she closed the door to her past” or opportunity (“that door is now shut”). 2
Introduction Have you ever stumbled across a door in an unexpected place and wondered what lurks behind it? Are you captivated by hidden doors in bookshelves and walls in James Bond films or Harry Potter? Did you know that the history of secret doors can be traced back to Ancient Egypt where they were used to protect tombs against robbery? Were you ever scared as a child when knocking on a stranger’s door? The unnerving anticipation of what lies beyond doors sparks emotions of excitement and fear in us. Each door seems to have its own unique personality - only particular keys fit into their locks and they have a short temperament when it comes to unlocking. Sometimes the key holder is required to lean on the door or pull it towards them. Other times, the key holder is required to hold the key at the perfect angle to unlock it. Doors demand the magic touch. Whether they are old and shabby, embellished with imposing columns, intricate door handles and detailed bells or have recently had a fresh lick of paint, the state of a door tells many stories…
“Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford” ~ Samuel Johnson
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The Gatekeepers of London
no 10 downing street Kensington ~ Georgian
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o list of important doors would be complete without a nod to London’s most famous door at 10 Downing Street. Behind this imposing and iconic black door and the official home of the Prime Minister and the executive headquarters of the British Government, countless political decisions have been made affecting Great Britain and the world. It is fascinating to imagine that some of the most famous political figures of modern history have lived and worked here, including Robert Walpole, Pitt the Younger, Benjamin Disraeli, William Gladstone, David Lloyd George, Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher. This door is the gateway to many rooms behind that have three key functions. Whilst being the official residence of the Prime Minister, they also serve as his office and an entertaining ground for the Queen’s guests and the world‘s leaders. This Georgian door has an air of solidity and heftiness, but at the same time it seems curiously domestic and welcoming. The perfect balance for a door that become a symbol of British politics. Like this one, London’s Georgian doors are typically characterised by panels in two columns with a glazed fanlight over the top. Late Georgian doors usually had six panels and were painted white, black or dark green (National Trust Green). The Georgian era is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I, George II, George III, and George IV—who reigned in continuous succession from 1714 to 1830. The classical style of this door grew from the architecture of Greece and Rome as well as the Italian Renaissance. As you can see, it is marked by a taste for symmetry, proportion and balance. Interestingly, the height and width of Georgian doors was often measured with simple mathematical ratios to create the perfect shape. This door has only changed its appearance once in the last 300 years. For a brief moment in the beginning of the nineteenth century, when Herbert Asquith was Prime Minister, it was painted dark green. Ever since 1916, Number Ten Downing Street has been black. The house was completed in around 1772 and is actually three houses combined. If you look closely, you can see that the door bears a wonky number due to a badly fitted ‘0’, which is tribute to the original door.
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No ten Downing Street This building is much larger than it appears from its front door as it was joined to a more spacious and elegant building behind it in the early eighteenth century. Number 10 has also spread itself out to the left of the front door, and has taken over much of 12 Downing Street, which is accessed by a corridor that runs through 11 Downing Street, the official residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer. When strolling past this door after a walk in St James’ Park, you find yourself imagining the world leaders mulling over the First and Second World Wars, discussing the vital policies informing the end of the Empire, debating the construction of the British nuclear bomb, evaluating the Great Depression and cementing the welfare state behind these doors.
“There is always a new begining...Doors are unlimited, always open, if one closes and that moment the other opens” ~Vandana Agarwal 5
The Gatekeepers of London
The Blue Door Notting Hill ~ Georgian
H
ave you always wanted to step inside the life of Hugh Grant in his iconic blue-doored apartment in Notting Hill? The film directed by Richard Curtis was the most popular film of the year 1999 and the sites associated with this romantic comedy have had an enormous impact on this area of London. Unfortunately, the infamous ocean blue door has now been removed and auctioned for charity for large sums of money and the places depicted in the film have moved location off Westbourne Park Road. Portobello Road no longer accommodates the beloved ‘Travel Book Company’ portrayed in the film and many fans will trawl the streets for hours in search of it. It became ‘Nicholls’ Antique Arcade’, followed by the furniture store ‘Gong’ and has now been transformed into a shoe shop fittingly named ‘Notting Hill, 142 Portobello Road’ (which rather impertinently replicates the film’s typeface). The real ‘Travel Bookshop’ portrayed in the film was in fact around the corner from the blue door. The glazed fanlight above, solid panelling, two white columns on either side and gold letterbox make this blue door not only a rom-com classic, but also a classic Georgian door. This door and the borough that it represents expose another story about London life. During the 1950s, the borough of Notting Hill in West London was considered cheap and deprived. It was largely inhabited by West Indian immigrants and subject to notorious riots when locals conflicted with notorious racist Teddy Boys. The popular Portobello Road market around the corner from here became a recurring location for Swinging Sixties films such as The Italian Job. You can still feel the traces of this vivacious and multicultural life at the market today when you stroll down the hill from Notting Hill Gate station towards Ladbroke Grove, even on a grey rainy Sunday afternoon.
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The Blue Door
“When it’s three o’clock in New York, it’s still 1938 in London” ~ Bette Midler
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The Gatekeepers of London
The Parent Trap Door Kensington ~ Victorian
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ondon is famous for its grand, luxurious and majestic Victorian doors. They are particularly prevalent in the boroughs of Chelsea and Kensington. In the 1998 Disney film The Parent Trap, the Victorian house and beautiful black door owned by the Annie and Hallie’s mother act as a symbol of traditional British style. Built in 1840s on 23 Egerton Terrace, with its beautiful white columns and sophisticated monochrome design, this house went on the market in 2010 for £14 million. This door tells yet another story about the London life of the smart west Londoner. Doors from the Victorian era, built during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901), often feature two long rectangular stained-glass windows. During the Industrial Revolution, successive housing booms resulted in the building of many millions of Victorian houses which are now a defining feature of most British cities such as London. Like this example, Victorian doors have a glass area on top depicting the house number, sometimes squared-off or rounded, with reeded door furniture and four panels. Unlike Edwardian doors, they tend to be heavier and more ornate. Made from solid oak, they are usually painted white, dark blue, brown, red or olive green, with elaborately stained or etched glass windows. The wide rails in the middle, bottom and side of this door reflect the Victorian sense of proportion. You cannot help but think that the glossy black door, imposing white columns and leafy trees perfectly accommodate the timeless story of the twins, their wedding gown-designing mother and their wine-drinking father.
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The Parent Trap Door
“London has the trick of making its past, its long indelible past, always a part of its present� ~ Anna Quindlen
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The Gatekeepers of London
The Apple doors Hampstead ~ Edwardian
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ehind this pair of apple-coloured Edwardian doors in Hampstead lurks a story of reaction from the Victorian doors of Downing Street in the centre and Kensington in the west of London and the Golden Age of the suburb. Built in the period between 1901 and 1910, Edwardian doors are usually composed of five stained or etched glass panels with side windows. With their plain door furniture and simple reeding, they are demonstrably less ornate than high or late Victorian architecture. The Edwardian period was a time that saw the birth of leafy London suburbs. A higher quality of construction was expected in the Edwardian era than at any other time. Building regulations combined with social idealism ensured that the flats being built by the London County Council were, and remain, a model of their kind. It was a form of development that Britain pioneered as an antidote to smoke-grimed Victorian industrial cities with their crime-ridden, tubercular slums. By the time the first quarter of the twentieth century was over, the country had changed utterly. It was a place with women voters, radio, aeroplanes, and many, many unhealed war wounds. You can just imagine the London life of a middle-class businesswoman popping out of the suburban door of her roomy, elegant semi-detached house every morning promptly at seven o’clock to return back to her husband and family of two children for the evening‌
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The Apple Doors
“She knocked and waited, because when the door was opened from within, it had the potential to lead someplace quite different�~ Laini Taylor
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The Gatekeepers of London
The Portobello Doors Notting Hill ~ Regency
T
he beautifully candy-coloured pink doors of number 24 Portobello Road and number 28 Ladbroke Grove in London’s trendy Notting Hill ooze a sense of Regency.
This style of door typically has no glass and is painted with vibrant colours like these. Whilst these two doors lack the embellishment and detailing of Victorian doors, different planked panels offer simple structure and symmetrical character. Usually, the door handle is placed in the middle of the door with the letterbox positioned underneath.
You become enchanted by the magnificent bursts of colour in these rows or Regency doors when strolling along Portobello Road rummaging through miscellaneous antiques and vintage clothing, past the delicious Hummingbird Bakery and the Art Deco Electric Cinema, or parading along in glittery costumes during Notting Hill Carnival. These pastel Regency style doors tell the story of colourful, sweet and quirky London.
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The Portobello Doors
“I left the door open so you could come in—and I could go out. That’s what being in love is all about” ~ Jarod Kintz 13
The Gatekeepers of London
“A very little key will open a very heavy door” ~ Charles Dickens
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The Portobello Doors
“Every man walks his own path, and every path has its fair share of locked doors. You never know who holds the key to a door you’ll need to open one day, so you best treat people as if they are all keyholders” ~A.J. Darkholme
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The Gatekeepers of London
The Mysterious Coin Door Moorgate ~ Modern
T
he story of this coin-encrusted door of Oliver House, 51-53 City Road near Old Street station has puzzled tourists and Londoners alike for at least a decade.
The disused office building features a wide array of one and two pence coins affixed to its boarded-up wooden door, filling every inch of available space. The decoration seemed destined to remain a mystery until a curious photographer emailed an address scrawled upon the letterbox. Eventually, an enigmatic response from a community leader explained that the site is used as a squat, and the residents created a ‘project towards the outside world, which is very different to the inside’. This is a prime example of a London door reflecting the struggles of modern London life - young students, talented artists and parading hipsters. When walking past the concept stores, bars and restaurants between Shoreditch, Moorgate and Old Street, this door sparks many questions: Is it an expression against capitalism? A gateway to an unexpectedly luxurious apartment? Or simply an artistic display of creativity?
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The mysterious coiin door
“I feel very adventurous. There are so many doors to be opened, and I’m not afraid to look behind them” ~ Elizabeth Taylor
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The Gatekeepers of London
Glossary of London door styles •GEORGIAN (1714-1830) typically solid, made of timber, six panels in two columns, glazed fanlight on the top, painted in dark colours. •VICTORIAN (1837-1901) features two long rectangular elaborately stained-glass windows, a glass area on top of the door with the house number, four panels, solid oak, painted white, dark blue, brow, red or green. •EDWARDIAN (1901-1910) stained and etched glass panels and side windows with five panels, door furniture is usually plain. •MODERN (1950s onwards) to be defined in the future.
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The Gatekeepers of London
glossary of door components •ARCHITRAVE The decorative moulding that outlines a door frame. •Lintel A horizontal beam above a door that supports the wall above it.
•DOORSTOP A thin slat built inside the frame to prevent a door from swinging through when closed, an act which might break the hinges. •JAMBS The vertical posts that form the sides of a door frame, where the hinges are mounted, and with which the bolt interacts. •SILL A horizontal sill plate below the door that supports the door frame. Similar to a Window Sill but for a door. •THRESHOLD A horizontal plate below the door that bridges the crack between the interior floor and the sill.
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PHOTOGRAPH PERMISSIONS Page 3: ‘Herne Hill’ @Amelia Reid Page 5: ‘Numer 10 Door’ © Number 10 via Flickr Creative Commons Page 7: ‘The Blue Door’ © tonyisme via Flickr Creative Commons Page 9: ‘The Parent Trap Door’ © shigosusanna via Instagram with written permission Page 11: ‘The Apple Doors’ © Sludge via Flickr Creative Commons Pages 13, 14 & 15: ‘The Portobello Doors’ @Amelia Reid Page 17: ‘The Coin Door’ © Cary Doctorow via Flickr Creative Commons
ILLUSTRATION PERMISSIONS Footer: ‘Key Icon’ © via Wiki Creative Commons Page 1: ‘Keys’ © Key via Flickr Creative Commons Pages 18 & 19: ‘Vintage Door Illustration’ © Tsyhanova via Vector Free DepositPhotos Pages 4, 8 & 12: ‘Door Set’ © YokoDesign via Vector Free DepositPhotos Page 20: ‘Black and white background of vintage key’ © nata789 via Vector Free DepositPhotos
TYPESET PERMISSIONS Wonderlust © Brenna Noel Martin via DaFont Victoria Serif © Tipografia Vittoria via DaFont ChocolateBox © Paul Lloyd via DaDont
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