Creating Beautiful Staircases

Staircases are often seen as purely practical structures that enable you to reach upper and lower floors. However, they can also be works of art or stunning pieces of architecture, which are there as a statement rather than just out of necessity.

You might only be looking for Leeds fabricators to create a stylish and functional staircase, but you can still draw some inspiration from these amazing designs from around the world.

A Mountainside Staircase

In Taihang in China there is even a staircase fitted to the side of a mountain. The 300ft spiral staircase allows visitors to reach the top and take advantage of the amazing views. The trip to the top, though, isn't without its risks. That's why visitors need to sign a form to say they have no heart or lung problems and those over the age of 60 are banned from attempting it.

A Rollercoaster to Nowhere

Sometimes staircases don't even have to take you anywhere. On the top of the Magic Mountain in Duisberg, Germany is the Tiger and Turtle structure. This set of stairs appears to be like a rollercoaster, complete with a 360-degree loop. It's actually more an art installation than anything practical, but that doesn't stop it from being extremely popular. The entire length of the staircase is 21m and the public are allowed to climb the stairs all day. However, they can't walk all the way around, as the set of stairs that are upside down are closed off.

Climb the Ribbon

At the Longchamp store in New York there is a truly amazing staircase that has the appearance of a piece of flowing ribbon. The whole thing took six months to complete and was created from hot-rolled steel and glass panels. The staircase also contains magnetic properties, which allows lights and display stands to be fitted to it. The balustrades are transparent and designed using the same technology as aerospace windscreens.

Photographing an Icon

The set of spiral stairs in the Vatican Museum in Rome is one of the most photographed in the world. It's actually made of two individual helix staircases that are intertwined to create a double helix. One set of stairs is used to go up and the other for coming down. The staircase features wide steps that are a combination of a ramp and stairs. They were installed in 1932 and include intricate design features.