Revolving doors originated in Europe sometime in the nineteenth century, and first appeared in the United States in Kansas City, Missouri. There they kept out the dust and smell from cattle drives through town streets while still offering patrons simple access to business establishments.

First made of wood and glass, revolving doors today are primarily made from brass, bronze, or aluminum. They consist of four door wings and a permanent barrier between the inside and outside of a building, to which the wings are attached. The foremost characteristic of revolving doors is that they are "always open, always closed." They allow people to enter and exit a building while maintaining the interior environment of a building, such as heat and air conditioning (or, in the above case in Kansas City, air quality and odor).

Standard hinged doors often do not function properly in tall structures. In...