continued

Origins in Stone

At the most basic level, the main reason for the evolution of staircases would originally have been the necessity of overcoming the difficulties of changing levels as comfortably as possible. The geological formation of the earth presents us with hills and valleys, steep rock faces and shallow gullies, hillsides and plains which even a prehistoric man would have wanted — and needed — to explore, to conquer, to discover.

Moving upwards very often meant moving to a place of greater safety, so consequently the choice could have made a difference between life and death. It was therefore very important to move quickly. It is easy enough for monkeys to jump from one branch to another, supporting their bodies with the help of their strong prehensile tails, but not so easy for people.

Because our balance depends on our feet, a horizontal ledge is a better bet, when it comes to stability, than a slippery slope, so it is not unfeasible to suppose that the first elements of what would eventually become a structural staircase could have been the result of the repeated impact of footprints following a route up an incline or down a slope, over time creating prehistoric "treads" that made it easier to climb.

The recognition of such an unintentional process could quite easily have resulted in the impulse leading to the first consciously constructed element, something like a cross between a climbing aid and a rudimentary stair.

As a matter of fact all of these early examples — the random indentations in river banks, sand dunes, short cuts through hillsides, carved ledges, or handholds in rocks — make up the early chapter in the story of stairs, prefiguring further development into staircases, ramps and, more recently, elevators, cable cars, funiculars and escalators: who can guess what is going to follow?

Defying Gravity

The rules of structure have come about naturally and are manifested to us through the forces of gravity. Guided by simple rules of strict logic, structure never changes its mind, even if its interpretation can vary practically indefinitely.

Similarly, man's imagination has no limits and his inventiveness knows no bounds. There is no need to go too far to prove this literal "wisdom": the force of gravity pulls everything including our bodies towards the center of the earth, however hard we might try to defeat this fact. Remaining in an upright position requires a certain skill and this constitutes a victory over the demanding will of nature.

Humankind's improving knowledge of nature's laws makes it possible to retaliate with wit; responding to and overcoming the law of gravity is certainly one of the successes of the human race. Talent, knowledge, and even instinct have left us with stepped monuments of many kinds — the earliest carved out of earth or stone with overwhelming simplicity. It is hard not to be stunned by the mastery these remnants reveal. There are equally impressive examples from more modern times, whether created by the skillful hands of unknown masters or by well-known artists.

Recent History

Historic stairs show a great variety of approaches, ideas and executions but also their dependence on architectural styles and philosophies. Somehow everything was a bit tidier, more straightforward — uniting fashion, architecture, society, and life as whole.

Looking at the staircases of the present and the very recent past shows how much history has changed and how much our lives have taken on a different dimension. With post-war globalization, speed of communication, technological advances, and scientific discoveries, everything is possible and almost anything is tolerated.

The birth of industrial fashion did not leave stairs untouched. Prefab houses and prefab stairs joined the family of mass production. Globalization does not seem to have narrowed the ever-growing range of staircase types now existing.

In spite of high standards concerning people with disabilities, and high specifications as to performance and maintenance, designers, architects, and artists are showing no limits to their creativity. Simply, there are fewer and fewer rules in the field of aesthetics, while the opposite is true in terms of health control and safety.

The Joan & David Shop, Paris, 1994

I have designed glass staircases in many countries, including the United States, where building regulations are more stringent than anywhere else. So it was a great surprise to find out that a country with so many technically advanced buildings — from the Eiffel Tower to the Centre Pompidou — would not consider glass as a structural material unless it was specifically tested for each application and would not recognize toughened glass as suitable for balustrading.

It is difficult to persuade a client to carry the expense of testing on a relatively small job, but in this case we had no other option. We won some of the arguments: the balustrading was declared safe, but unfortunately — even though all the test results were satisfactory — we had to support the glass treads with an element made of another material.

We chose a folded metal plate reduced to the minimum possible size, which still allowed light to penetrate. The effect was somewhat unusual, so perhaps this requirement was lucky after all. Having had such a hard time with the authorities, I concluded that any challenge is good if it keeps designers on their toes.

Architects have grown used to accepting different methods and expressions, finding different ways of reaching a goal. Whatever the future might bring, there is a rich present to absorb, enjoy, and admire. Even a complicated staircase represents a small proportion of the overall investment involved in a total building.

There is still a relatively large scope for architects to explore. The issue of the staircase might only be the salt added to the architectural stew, but without it there would be no flavor to speak of.

Eva Jiricna was born in Czechoslovakia and is now one of Britain's foremost architects. She has lectured around the world and has been made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) for services to design.

This article is excerpted from Staircases copyright © 2001, first published in the United States of America by Watson-Guptill Publications (New York). Available where books are sold, including at Amazon.com.

Staircase at the Joan & David Shop, Paris, designed by Eva Jiricna in 1994. Photo: Katsuhisa Kida The Joan & David Shop stairs were hung on a very light mesh of horizontal and vertical rods. When the shop was later sold, the pieces were dismantled and easily transported in a small van to their new home. Photo: Katsuhisa Kida The distinctive metal supports in the glass treads came about as a result of strict safety regulations in France. Photo: Katsuhisa Kida Plan of the Joan & David Shop staircase and first-floor landing. Image: Eva Jiricna Section showing how the staircase was fixed to the mesh of metal rods. Image: Eva Jiricna Staircases, by Eva Jiricna, from Watson-Guptill Publications, showing a staircase by Jyrki Tasa, Finland, 1997. Photo: Jyrki Tasa   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.