Stacked, Helical, Floating Modern Staircase

A client wanted a stacked helical, floating staircase in a modern design, constructed for his shore home. The stairs were a significant design challenge in that the single stair stringer had to be a very rigid structure, to endure the cantilever forces, yet be curved gracefully to the constraints of the stair opening.

Once both flights of stairs were designed and the attachments to the structure were engineered, we began with the actual creation of the stairs. Due to the proximity to the corrosive waterfront elements, a super-durable powder-coat over hot-dip galvanizing was used.

The process was extremely challenging to lift these pieces weighing over a ton each through the allotted openings. Then the ends needed to be manipulated up and down into the required positions. These photos show the double stair frames in place which mimic modern art, but will provide beautiful access points to different areas of the house.