We love stairs, the zero-energy way of vertically. I have written that "Making good stairs is an important part of green design; you want people to use them instead of elevators in bigger buildings, and you want to get tighter, more efficient plans in smaller ones."

This stair, by Arqmov Workshop and built in Mumbai, India and shown in Architizer, is neither of the above; it is described as “a big sculpture, situated in front of a double-height window, the three-sided design features open treads to allow light to permeate the structure and fill the apartment.”

© ARQMOV WORKSHOP via Architizer

But I do like the way it serves multiple purposes:

Treads of engineered walnut that form the bottom portion of the staircase swoop up as continuous elements to also create the steps at the top, the first three treads sit independently from each other and the rest of the structure, standing like a set of benches with curved corners that are each taller and narrower than the one before.

© ARQMOV WORKSHOP via Architizer

The handrail police will be out in force; these are the critics who always complain when we show a stair without handrails, claiming (rightly) that they can be dangerous and are often illegal. In This one is particularly contentious with those bottom four stairs not even touching a wall, there is no visible means of support for someone walking. But above, there are vertical cables that one can grab on to.

And it is so sculptural and to my eye, quite beautiful. What do you think, do the design critics overrule the handrail police? I am reminded of this cartoon...

What do you think? These are comments from a previous post in this poll.

Minimalist Gem or Deathtrap?

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