Tuesday, February 3, 2015
On Stairs...
An overlooked component of my interior design education so far is the staircase. The staircase is functionally and symbolically vital to space design. Functionally, staircases transition between levels. In residential and commercial capacities this is often the transition between the public and private sectors. The function of the staircase then becomes symbolic in nature: it is a path of relief. It is the journey one takes after a long day of work to bed. It is the avenue one takes when it is 4 AM in the morning and the last of the 39 guests has just said goodbye from the 7 hour booze-infested dinner party downstairs. It is the highway from the lobby to the private offices. The staircase when designed properly can offer relief, peace. It is not a menial, tedious component structure that needs to be hidden, but an integral part of any good design. Good designers know this. As an interior design student aspiring to be a good designer, the lack of staircase education I have received so far perplexes me. I still do not know how to design them! I feel shortchanged but I digress. Nevertheless, in homage to the guttiest, most integral, potentially most beautiful component of any project, I present a collection of some of my favorite staircases, amassed courtesy of Interest and boring Friday nights...
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I agree!!! Well-put, Josh.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm should we add staircase design to the syllabus?
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ReplyDeleteVery interesting perspective, Josh. I agree that we have not been properly taught about the impact stairs can have in a space and how to execute them in a manner suitable to specific criteria.
ReplyDeleteLoved this! You made me want to stay in and "Pin" stairs.... I never considered all that stairs actually bring to any project... Both functionally and symbolically.
ReplyDeleteI thought this was great you brought up stairs! I feel like many of us through our design education never really focused or dealt with stairs. They can bring so much to the space aesthetically and functionally, it can even be the focal point of a roomand bring the whole space together.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think about it until your post - we do very little with stairs. We put in the basic boring - but never really focus on creating stairs that are a focal point or piece of art. I started going through my favorite Interiors looking for how many pics were of stairs - they bring so much to a project!
ReplyDeleteWell said! The design of staircases can be simple but have such a great impact on a space's overall design.
ReplyDeleteI agree that we haven't had an emphasis on this, but I think it is because people's way of thinking has shifted. Stairs are becoming much more of an art piece rather than a simply functional part of a building. I often find that spaces that have really planned out the stairs and focused on making them a part of the building are super aesthetically pleasing (for the most part) and I am often drawn to pictures of staircases as well.
ReplyDeleteIt is true that we had not any lessons about staircases in depth so far. I totally agree that there are many impressively designed spaces utilizing staircases a focal point. I wish we have a chance to design a multi-story building to learn and think more about it.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea that the staircase is the "path of relief" and that it links public and private spaces. I really should try to always remember how important stairs are in a space because they are often overlooked. Very well-written entry.
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