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| 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. Private Comment
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| 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. Private Comment
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| 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. Private Comment
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| 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. Private Comment
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| 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. Private Comment
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| 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. Private Comment
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| 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. Private Comment
More: Artful Stairs: Continuity in Steel Cantilevered Stairs: Walking on Air Tiny Office Above the Stairs |
