You might think that the humble staircase is something that has always been a feature of human domiciles and public buildings, but you’d be wrong. It might be hard to imagine, but there was very briefly a moment in human history when we had not conceived of building staircases for the indoor uses we know them for today. Even the earliest humans were familiar with the concept of stairs, but these were usually a means of travelling from low ground to higher elevations outdoors.
This is because there was, for a very short time, no way for humans to make homes that spanned multiple levels. Because we are extremely adaptable and intelligent as a species, it did not take long for us to find ways to build upwards rather than simply outwards, and it made sense for us to bring the familiar concept of a staircase into these buildings to make it easier to pass between the different levels of these early multistorey buildings.
Stairs as we know them today have been around for millennia. In fact, one of the earliest examples can be found in Gobekli Tepe, and dates back to around 12,000 years ago. It did not take long for them to become an instrumental part of building design and early architecture, and as such they took on less of a purely practical role and started to become something that was decorative and could even be used as a status symbol by history’s rich and powerful.
Many examples of this are in existence to this day, with ancient displays of wealth and status surviving into modern times. The grander examples are even well known tourist spots and even locals will use them as meeting places. Case in point, there are the Spanish Steps in Rome. Loved for their gorgeous styling and enduring appeal, they are known as Scalinata della Trinità dei Monti in Italian, and were opened in 1725 and are rendered in stunning Baroque style.
Truth be told, the grander staircases in private homes and public buildings these days often take a similarly decorative and imposing style. There is also a concurrent trend for staircase design that is modern and minimalist, though no less impressive. Stone staircases that have been a feature of royal palaces throughout history are now commonly found in the homes of high value individuals as well as grand hotels and public buildings such as town halls.
So why are staircases so popular?
To put it simply, the reason staircases are so popular is because they are the best way we have found to get from one floor of a building to another. Throughout history, various methods have been used including ramps and ladders, but we always come back to staircases because they give us the perfect trade off between style, functionality and efficient use of space and materials.
A well designed staircase can be the focal point of a room, or it can be designed as a quieter background element designed not to grab all the attention. This versatility in staircase design means they fit the bill for all applications, whether they are a grand, sweeping staircase crafted from marble, or a humble timber staircase in the home.
The most important thing a staircase needs to do is allow you to move freely up and down without being too steep or having steps that are too far apart. Staircase makers understand that there are accepted maximums and minimums in terms of the proportions of a staircase, and these generally should be adhered to in order to make the stairs feel comfortable and safe to use.
There are a whole range of other safety features of stairs that we never even consider such as the baluster and handrail, and these must also be carefully designed by the carpenter or stonemason working on the project. It can definitely be said that a staircase is much more than the sum of its parts, though there are a surprising number of parts involved with making a staircase. The right staircase can really transform a space or make the users’ lives easier in ways that blend into the background of our day to day experiences.
Resources:
Spiral Staircase - Buy Me a Coffee
Floating Staircases - Hashnode
Stone Staircases - Zoho Writer