Paul&Albert’s Front Door Cabinet for the municipality of Assen
Dutch design duo Paul&Albert have created the Front Door Cabinet for the municipality of Assen in the Netherlands. The object organizes tools used by the city for communication and citizen participation while translating the architectural language of domestic front doors into a sculptural cabinet. Rather than designing a conventional storage unit, the project interprets the front door as a symbolic element of the relationship between private households and the public realm. Each door represents an entry point to a different domestic environment, marking the threshold between individual life and the shared space of the city.
The cabinet is constructed from components derived from traditional front door elements. Panels, glazed sections, and characteristic door proportions are deconstructed and recomposed to form a new object. The resulting structure resembles two doors folding into one another, creating the outer shell of the cabinet. This formal approach reflects the variety of residential doors found across the city, some reserved, others expressive, while maintaining the recognizable proportions and details associated with domestic entrances.
all images by Roelof Bos
cabinet serves as both a working tool and A symbolic civic object
The municipality of Assen commissioned the design duo Paul&Albert to create a cabinet for housing materials and instruments used in public communication and community engagement projects. These tools support dialogue with residents and help structure participatory initiatives within the city. When opened, the interior doors reveal photographic portraits of Assen residents. The images refer to the individuals living behind the many front doors throughout the city. For privacy reasons, the residents are not shown in the publicly released photographs of the project.
Inside the cabinet, a range of instruments and communication methods are organized to support interaction with different groups within the community. The system allows the municipality to adapt engagement strategies depending on the context of each initiative and the residents involved. Through its combination of symbolic form and functional storage, the Front Door Cabinet operates both as a practical working tool and as a physical representation of the relationship between the city administration and the inhabitants of Assen.
the sculptural cabinet organizes tools for citizen participation
two door forms appear to fold into one another to create the outer shell
the cabinet reinterprets familiar residential elements as a civic object
traditional door components are deconstructed and recomposed
panels and glazed sections form the cabinet’s layered structure
the design references the architectural language of domestic front doors
when unfolded, the sculptural object reveals a series of wooden shelving
the object reflects the diversity of front doors across the city
project info:
name: Front Door Cabinet
designer: Paul&Albert | @paulalbertcom
location: Assen, the Netherlands
client: Municipality of Assen
production: Hannes Jansen, Wouter van der Ploeg
glass: Ballast & Bonekamp
photographer: Roelof Bos | @roelof_bos_fotografie
designboom has received this project from our DIY submissions feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.
edited by: christina vergopoulou | designboom
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