The popularity of the minimalist style in architecture is one of the reasons that aluminium doors and windows entered the family house sector. Applying the principle of “less is more” to architecture led architects and designers to use unique solutions and austere or transparent surfaces. In a minimalist home, simple shapes and forms help create an atmosphere of harmony, where space itself serves humanity.
Minimalist art is rooted in the United States of the ‘60s and ‘70s. The concept is based on the thesis of Mies van der Rohe, “less is more”. During the design process, an architect defines all surfaces and facades as unbroken planes, possibly only switching between undivided planes, and using as few kinds of materials as possible. In this approach, surfaces are stretched between two defined planes, i.e. the ceiling and the floor. These may be made of clear and noble materials, such as bricks, stone, or facade panels, or transparent structures, such as doors and windows made of aluminium and glass. Such transparent surfaces are more than mere functional structures (open, tilt-and-open); they constitute independent and dominant units, such as fixed or sliding walls that define living spaces. In that role, custom doors and windows follow the principles of purity. There is no room for window-straps, so straps and iron parts remain hidden; knobs are replaced by sliding door handles that are also commonly hidden. As plenty of natural light is essential for the minimalist style, designers often use frameless sliding doors and minimalist windows to achieve greater transparency. Automated operation, motor-driven locks, bluetooth control and fingerprint scanners may improve the clear aesthetics of doors and windows.
As minimalism gains ground in Hungarian design, demand for floor-to-ceiling, undivided, transparent front structures and timeless materials is on the rise again. Through the increased use of triple-pane thermal glass and re-defined weight limits, the minimalist style is now driving the spread and popularity of aluminium windows and doors, and of unique windows and doors in general.