13 spectacular architectural staircases
Using colour, shape and materiality in creative ways, these showstopping designs beautifully combine form and function
Far from just being a device to link one level to another, staircases are full of intriguing possibilities to explore colour, material and form. These transitional spaces can have a powerful impact on how people, light and air move around your home, so it’s worth giving them serious consideration when planning a project. Let these innovative and inspiring examples fuel your imagination
Floating steps
The douglas-fir staircase in this project by Architecture for London is suspended in mid-air, with its final three steps created from precast concrete – a clever extension of the kitchen’s existing worksurface. architectureforlondon.com
Pale but interesting
In this airy Melbourne home designed by ARKit, open floating-pine shelves wrap around a beautifully crafted pine-plywood staircase that has its own sculptural geometry. arkit.com.au
Pastel perfection
The bannister is the star of the pastel pink staircase in this converted 1940s terraced house in Madrid by architect Beatriz Alés. Realised in a bold yellow, it carves its own path. beatrizales.com
High contrast
When renovating and extending a farmhouse in the Dutch countryside, Framework Studio installed this strikingly modern staircase in brushed stainless steel and oak. Its sculptural form stands out in bold contrast to the home’s rural setting. framework.eu
Sunshine state
Giuliano Marchiorato Arquitetos placed a sunshine-yellow staircase at the heart of this duplex apartment in Curitiba, where it casts a glow over the owners’ collection of Brazilian design and art. giulianomarchiorato.com
Bright idea
Using a vibrant tile, such as Huguet Mallorca’s ‘Arta’ cement design, across a floor and up the stairs is a brilliantly simple way to add immediate impact – especially when teamed with pure-white walls.
Positive spiral
This spectacular plywood spiral staircase is the defining structural feature in Markholt & Rand founder Tommy Rand’s house in Aarhus, Denmark. It’s made from 630 pieces of CNC-cut plywood, which were assembled on site like a giant game of Jenga.
Red alert
Korean artist Doh Ho Suh’s Staircase-III inspired architecture practice Michaelis Boyd’s ingenious solution for converting two apartments into one maisonette in London. The perforated steel, fire-engine-red staircase makes a sculptural yet functional statement in the centre of the space, where it floats above the living-room floor. michaelisboyd.com
Kind of blue
It might be surrounded by world-class modern art, but this Klein-blue staircase easily holds its own in this crisply contemporary Californian mansion, the work of Rios Clementi Hale Studios and Waldo‘s Designs. waldosdesigns.com
In the shadows
Introducing a cinematic sense of drama into this Stoke Newington home designed by ND Architects, a perforated staircase casts striking shadows while allowing air and light to circulate. neildusheiko.com
Monochrome mastery
Studiokhachatryan made a bold statement in this historic Brussels building by choosing a welded and folded steel-switchback staircase (where two flights of steps face 180 degrees from each other) to crisply punctuate the space. studiokhachatryan.com
Designed by SABO project, this enclosed birch plywood spiral staircase artfully links two former apartments, like an elegant spine running through the centre of the space. sabo-project.com
Original thinking
In the hands of interior-design legend Vincent Van Duysen, this home’s original bone-coloured staircase was refined to subtly accentuate the elegant proportions of the old Brussels townhouse. vincentvanduysen.com
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