Why do some (mostly older European?) doors have the knob in the center?

January 29, 2007 5:45 PM

Why do some (mostly older European?) doors have the knob in the center? Was there some technology reason? security reason? Design carry-over from the door latch design before knobs?
posted by jbelkin to home & garden (6 comments total)

The bolt locks at both ends, so it only makes sense that the knob would be equidistant.
posted by furtive at 5:52 PM on January 29, 2007

No advantage that I can see. Seems like it's probably just a symmetry fetish. I'd rather have the leverage, to tell you the truth.

This does give me an idea for a prank to play on Donald Norman, though.
posted by Hildago at 6:04 PM on January 29, 2007

It is done to trap the unwary and to promote neighborhood cohesiveness. In my house the bolt locks at one side only. The latch hardware that's contemporary with the door isn't inset in the door but is attached to the inside, and the old key is long to reach right through the door's thickness. You can detach the lever from the knob that trips the latch, so you must have the key to open the door (the doorknob doesn't help in that case). This is fun when you've neglected to re-set the latch hardware and the door blows shut with you outside. It promotes neighborly solidarity when you have to go borrow a ladder to get back inside.
posted by jet_silver at 7:52 PM on January 29, 2007

Most of the ones I see have a knob that never actually turned the latch. Not to mention the fact that they are much larger than standard knobs which would make it difficult to function as such.

I assume it has to do as Hidalgo mentioned with symmetry.
posted by JJ86 at 5:35 AM on January 30, 2007

For those thinking it has to do with a latch, here is the type of door that jbelkin talks about. So it has nothing to do with the lock.
posted by JJ86 at 6:01 AM on January 30, 2007

it is more to do with having having a useful prop to move the door, or hold it steady while you are locking it (if it is that kind of lock) Traditionally these were brass, and it was a way of keeping fingermarks off the door, since you only touched this knob.
Shining the brass with Brasso was one of my first chores as a 5 year old!
I'm more used to seeing one knob in the centre of a door, rather than the image linked to above.
posted by Wilder at 6:42 AM on January 30, 2007