Across the UK’s most sensitive buildings—data centres, defence facilities, secure laboratories, control rooms and high-risk public assets—a quiet but significant transformation is taking shape. Traditional swing doors, long considered the default for secure environments, are increasingly being replaced by high-security sliding doors engineered for both operational efficiency and certified attack resistance. The shift reflects the changing nature of modern facilities: they are busier, more tightly controlled and more dependent on constant movement and monitoring than ever before.
For Birmingham-based manufacturer Warrior Doors, this evolution has presented a major opportunity. The company’s SR3-rated sliding security door is one of the highest performing models of its kind in the UK—a rarity in a market where sliding doors have historically been associated with commercial storefronts rather than critical infrastructure. The growing interest in this technology, particularly from data centre operators and defence clients, stems from the unique combination of security and functionality that sliding mechanisms can offer.
“Sliding doors solve problems that swing doors create,” says Managing Director Brett Barratt. “They eliminate pinch points, they support secure interlocking systems, and they maintain airflow and circulation, especially in temperature-sensitive or equipment-heavy environments. When built properly, they deliver serious security without slowing the building down.”
The shift has accelerated as data centres have multiplied across the UK and Europe. These facilities operate around the clock, welcoming engineers, contractors and security personnel in continuous rotation. In that context, traditional swing doors can introduce both physical inefficiencies and security risks, particularly when used with interlocks or strict circulation protocols. Sliding doors, by comparison, allow movement to be tightly controlled without compromising throughput or creating operational bottlenecks.
Yet convenience alone is not enough to justify adoption in high-risk settings. What distinguishes Warrior Doors’ sliding systems is their independent LPS 1175 SR3 certification, a benchmark for resistance against forced entry using advanced tools. Achieving SR3 in a sliding format is uncommon; achieving it in a door that also supports fully integrated access control, biometrics and CCTV-linked intercom systems is rarer still.
“Certification is the differentiator,” Barratt stresses. “Anyone can install an automatic sliding mechanism. Very few can engineer a sliding door that withstands a sustained, professional attack. That’s the difference between a door that’s convenient and a door that’s secure. And mission-critical buildings simply cannot afford the former without the latter.”
As demand grows, the company is seeing interest not only from data centre operators but from defence agencies, utilities and infrastructure clients seeking controlled transition points within secure zones. In these buildings, every doorway represents a moment of vulnerability; sliding doors allow that moment to be managed with precision, predictability and continuous monitoring.
Barratt notes that reliability is just as important as resistance. “Mission-critical buildings run 24/7,” he says. “So must the doors. Our sliding systems are built to operate constantly, under load, without failure. That’s the standard these sites demand. You can’t have a door that sticks, stalls or struggles—especially if it’s part of an interlock or an access-control chain.”
What is emerging is a new understanding of how architectural design, engineering and security intersect. Historically, security products often came at the expense of aesthetics or user experience. Today, sliding security doors offer the opposite: streamlined design, high visibility, smooth movement and silent operation, all without compromising certified protection.
“We’re only at the beginning of this shift,” Barratt predicts. “Sliding security doors will become the norm across high-risk sectors. They’re efficient, they’re intelligent and—when engineered correctly—they’re exceptionally strong. The days of choosing between usability and security are over.”
