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Stairways

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Stairs Take Center Stage

When a staircase occupies the center of a room, it becomes an object of focus and an artistic statement

John Hill December 19, 2011

Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor of Architecture and Master in Urban Planning degrees, and over ten years experience in architectural practice, split between Chicago and NYC. Currently I'm focused on writing and online pursuits. My daily blog can be found at http://archidose.blogspot.com

Houzz Contributor. I am an architect and writer living in New York City. I have Bachelor... More

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For the most part, stairways in houses tend to be on the edge of spaces. They will hug a wall on the side of a room or occupy their own space tangent to a hallway or other space. Rarely will stairs land in the middle of a room. This is partially spatial but also structural, as it's easier to anchor a stair in a wall than suspend it from a floor.

Yet those rarities are the focus here. The following examples illustrate what happens when one chooses to incorporate a set of freestanding stairs into a house.

Dan and Hila Israelevitz- Architects

First and foremost, stairs that lands in the middle of a space become an object. In this case all of the pieces — treads, risers, stringers, guardrails — take on a strong presence as the stairway separates the kitchen from the living area.

Dan and Hila Israelevitz- Architects

Looking the other direction, it's clear that two sets of stairs are stacked within the same footprint. This necessitates the need for guardrails at the perimeter of the floor's opening. They way those vertical pickets differ from the angled pickets of the stairs give this design much of its distinction.

Dan and Hila Israelevitz- Architects

Another shot of the stairs illustrates how the stairway is suspended from the ceiling above and stabilized by cables anchored to the wall. Obviously these are not the main structural supports (the steel stringers underneath the steps are doing most of the work as they span from floor to floor), but they serve to reduce movement of the stairs as people walk up or down them.

Contemporary Staircase Contemporary Staircase

Descending these stairs, one can turn right to head to the kitchen or down a hallway, or turn left to head to the lower level. This photo gives the impression that the stair is fairly shallow, gracefully delivering people to this floor; the next photo makes it clear that is an illusion.

Industrial Staircase Industrial Staircase

The stairs are noticeably steeper in this view, but notice how the stairs down are next to the upper set of stairs, not below as in the first example. Another difference: The guardrails end at the ceiling, rather than extending past into the opening. The angled grid of the guardrails gives the stairs a unique presence.

Bernard Marson, Architect

These stairs occupy a prominent place in a very opening living space, but appear much lighter than the previous examples. This stems from a few details: the single steel-beam stringer supporting the steps; the steps themselves, which are wood treads held up by steel angles; and the thin cable that makes up the guardrail.

Lewis.Tsurumaki.Lewis Architects

In these stairs, the guardrail at the opening in the floor is translucent, apparently at odds with the lightness of the stairs. This surface ties the stairs into the design of the kitchen, the guardrail is about the same height and material as the lower kitchen cabinets.

These stacked stairs go to show how the detailing of the guardrails impacts the space. The mix of steel and wood gives the stairway a strong presence, reinforced by the small circulation space into which it's placed.

Speaking of guardrails, this stairway has a web-like composition of steel that simultaneously works as a guardrail and as supports for the treads. It's quite a design, one that wants to be respected when it comes time to furnish the space.

Prestige Metal

While it's apparent that this stairway wends its way into a complex bit of structure and opening above, what one can learn from this example is the way the underside of the stair can still be enclosed to function as, for example, a closet. Stairs landing in space are not limited to ones that float above the floor.

Narita Architects

Here is a stairway that is tucked into its own light-soaked alcove, but which nevertheless lands within a space. The space underneath and around is not necessarily useful, so this tactic was probably used to make the stair into an object.

Narita Architects

A closer view of the same stairway makes it apparent why it's made into an object: It is a very well-detailed contemporary stairway in steel, wood and cable. With thin treads and slender riser supports, the stairway also lets in plenty of light through the windows, another good reason to cut back the wall on the side and let the stairs land in the space.

Moon Design

This stairway, which also accesses a loft space overhead, is an odd beast, where the treads are shifted on either side to receive each ascending or descending step. At first glance it appears like a shelf or some sort of stair workout machine, rather than a usable stair.

Moon Design

A closer look also reveals that the overall width is quite narrow, so a handrail is supplied on only one side. (In anticipation of code comments, note that this is a UK project.) I'm wondering what the stairs are like to use, after one gets over the initial wariness. Whatever the case, it's clear why these stairs are made into objects in space.

Elite Metalcraft Co. Ltd

It would be remiss to talk about stairs that occupy central areas of rooms without at least one spiral stair example. This one is boxed out below the treads and risers with a finished soffit, but the guardrails are curved glass, which lets a lot of light into this corner of the house. The opening above a spiral staircase draws a circle in the ceiling, prompting it to want to occupy a central space, especially if it's generous and sweeping like this one.

More:
Artful Stairs: Continuity in Steel
Cantilevered Stairs: Walking on Air
Tiny Office Above the Stairs

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1gkelly1

Code violations aside, those stairs are just dangerous. I did note that there are children living in the home (as evidenced by the toys and small chairs). I don't think that it is a good idea to subject ones children to that inevitability for the sake of design.

Like December 21, 2011 at 8:55AM