Comments on: Beautifully Dangerous (Dangerously Beautiful?) Staircase by Jordi Vayreda

By: Lau

Lau — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 16:31:04 +0000

This is pure art! I love it

By: andy99999999999

andy99999999999 — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 09:41:38 +0000

Beautiful design, but that’s it. No person in his or her right mind would use stairs like that on a daily basis in their home. Yes, it looks more dangerous than it is, with the “hidden handrail wall”, but it’s still fucking dangerous. Ever slipped on “normal” stairs? Imagine what happens on this thing, halfway down. That’s potentially lethal. Not to speak of kids, elderly or disabled people. Accidents are bound to happen with this thing.

By: gt

gt — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 22:53:01 +0000

anyone with a little bit sense of mechanics will know that this is easily possible.

Everyone who thinks it isn’t and is calling this photoshop is just another one who is better in law or farmership then engineering. Just keep it that way, and don’t bother mechanics. Don’t even bother discussing about the mechanics of such a stairs.

By: Kevin Patrick

Kevin Patrick — Sat, 09 Oct 2010 20:02:41 +0000

Everyone asking the weight limits and talking about the no handrail crap needs to learn to READ THE ARTICLE before posting, he clearly states the weight limit (200k) and that there is a camouflage handrail to lead you halfway down.

By: Alex K

Alex K — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 18:21:21 +0000

5 Seconds of google research supports that this is true, don’t know why there were so many people doubting it…. Harness the power of the internet and research before you post….

By: Alex K

Alex K — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 18:20:10 +0000

To the non-believers:

http://www.stairporn.org/category/cantilevered-stairs/

By: Fatjaw

Fatjaw — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 02:57:33 +0000

I detail stair systems for a steel fabricator and that stair is sound from what I saw and read. Building codes in residences are totally different from commercial buildings and that stair would be allowed. The handrail needs to be there for pure safety and I am sure one will be installed (sooner rather then later). But all in all, it is unique and I really think that was what was intended.

By: nazchowder

nazchowder — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 22:27:41 +0000

if you think its photo shopped then you’re simply narrow minded. its a brilliant design idea that ive seen lots of times

By: dude

dude — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 20:15:28 +0000

c’mon now, definitely real. if these stairs are WELDED steel, each stair could hold 4 oprah winfrey’s.

By: Ralph Martin Architect

Ralph Martin Architect — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 20:13:24 +0000

READ the article before commenting. DRUNKS? All stairs are dangerous when you’re drunk! Cantivered thick steel plates welded to angled steel beam with additional steel stiffeners WAY stronger than your flimsy standard plywood stairs. THE DANGER is what keeps you safe. Mentally you will naturally slow down, walk on the wall side away from edge. KIDS fall down normal stairs all the time even will code required handrails / guardrails. BEAUTIFUL feat of art & science in one.

By: jcy123

jcy123 — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:12:17 +0000

Reading these comments makes me lose faith in humanity. Have any of you seen or felt 1/2″ or 3/8″ steel plate? Let alone 3/4″ steel plate. Steel at that thickness could hold any human weight distributed anywhere on the plane of the stair. The anchor system would just have to be a metal beam in the wall where the stairs can be welded on. Seriously people. Just because you’re not smart enough to understand it doesn’t mean it’s impossible!!

Manel and Anna, if this truly is your house…congratulations…it’s gorgeous!!

By: Valentim

Valentim — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 18:18:03 +0000

Did any one heard about barragan? it’s a mexican architect that uses the same principle but 50 years ago…
i think is a god project.

By: marlboro

marlboro — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 03:19:46 +0000

if i had that staircase id so kill myself wen i get drunk and high. kool tho

By: Karrie

Karrie — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 21:16:06 +0000

Aea, the photograph was taken with a wide lens aperture, which is often necessary in indoor situations to let in as much natural light as possible to the camera. The drawback is that the area of focus is highly selective, and you lose sharpness on areas of the image that lie outside of this singular plane of focus. So, anything further away from the focus plane or anything closer to the camera from the focus plane will go slightly out of focus. Its the same effect you see on professional portraits where the background is fuzzy. Had the picture been taken from the side view of the staircase, all steps would be equally in focus because they would all have lain on the same focus plane. Hope that quells any suspicions that the image is “Photoshop’d”.

By: Brian

Brian — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 04:08:37 +0000

I think this has been excellently executed. so what if there are no handrails. sure it won’t pass building codes in many countries but its a great deterrent for keeping kids and others out of your loft.

looking at how its attached to the steel beams inside the wall, those steps aren’t going anywhere. it’s simple physics really.

and don’t knock minimalism people. judging by how many of you people have thought this was photoshopped or completely not usable i believe the architect has achieved his goal: maximum shock value while hiding all the effort.

great job!!!

By: MANEL AND ANNA

MANEL AND ANNA — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 22:06:22 +0000

WE ARE THE OWNERS OF THIS HOUSE. WE LIKE IT, IT ISN’T AS DANGEROUS AS IT LOOKS, AND IT LEADS TO A ROOM WITH LOTS OF WINE BOTTLES. WHEN WE RUN OUT OF WINE IN TE MIDDLE OF DINNER, WE HAVE TO GO UP THE STAIR FOR ANOTHER BOTTLE, THEN IT IS A BIT “DANGEROUS”. YOU CAN ALL COME AND TRY THE STAIR AND THE WINE. OUR FRIEND JORDI HAD A GREAT IDEA.

By: Santiago

Santiago — Wed, 14 May 2008 05:11:51 +0000

My grandfather’s house had a staircase just like that, although the steps were solid oak (and much thicker than the ones on the post), and the secret for its stability is that the steps are affixed to a brick wall and have a complex set of metal anchors inside the wall, it’s not as scary as it sounds, you just have to avoid climbing it while drunk.
The staircase i’m describing is also quite resistant, as we moved my grandfather’s turn-of-the-century, solid wood desk and the steps did not buckle or crack, even after 50 years of being there.

By: Tara

Tara — Tue, 13 May 2008 14:22:12 +0000

Don’t drink and use stairs.

By: Scooter

Scooter — Mon, 12 May 2008 21:02:38 +0000

it would appear that the stair rizers are no wider than the chair in the back ground. so i’d say 1.5 feet max. i imagine a solid piece of steel protruding from a wall where it is welded to an even larger steel plate would be suffecient to hold quite a few pounds.

still, not in my house. I’m not taking that stair in the dark.

By: Fran

Fran — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:43:49 +0000

No way I’d try this. I fall up and down stairs too often to even think I wouldn’t fall on this one.

By: Ratz

Ratz — Mon, 12 May 2008 12:03:23 +0000

I believe that cool though it is, that’d be illegal in the UK. I seem to recall all new builds must exhibit hand rails on at least one side and a balustrade on any exposed shafts.

By: ted

ted — Mon, 12 May 2008 11:01:42 +0000

Couldn’t follow the link – connection refused.

That’s why we have building codes, so insane ideas like
this never happen.

By: Sofar

Sofar — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:29:35 +0000

Pft. Minimalism. Sure it’s an accomplishment but where’s the architecture?

By: SenorMysterioso

SenorMysterioso — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:02:34 +0000

Ive seen a spiral staircase similar to this but instead of a wall the steps were attached to a pillar and spiraled up it. I was too weary to go all the way up but it held perfect for the few steps I did take

By: Jen M.

Jen M. — Mon, 12 May 2008 03:18:25 +0000

The support structure would be easy enough to hide in the wall; it’s the thinness of the stair treads that interests me. I can’t imagine solid wood, or even (most?) solid metals would work. The rigidity required to not bend if the outer edge of the stair is stepped on would most likely only be obtainable with some kind of honeycomb or triangular tube substructure… wonder how they did it…

By: ...tom...

...tom... — Mon, 12 May 2008 03:17:57 +0000

…
And with a white wall..?!?

Can only imagine all the ‘fearful’ hand prints as cautious/scared users try to hang on for their dear life..!!

It would indeed seem the stairs could be anchored securely ‘behind’ the wall…

Nice share.

…tom…
.

By: RyanRyanRyanRyan

RyanRyanRyanRyan — Mon, 12 May 2008 03:07:01 +0000

The front stair is only blurry because the focus is not in the foreground…

and yes, of course it’s possible! You don’t know what’s on the other side of that wall. For all you know only half of the board might be visible and the other half might be securely attached – I doubt that it was something as simple as nails.

By: Arty

Arty — Mon, 12 May 2008 03:06:27 +0000

I can’t help but wonder what the weight limit on those stairs are? Looks cool but scary!

By: leongsoon

leongsoon — Mon, 12 May 2008 03:04:39 +0000

No, this is not Photoshop. This design has actually been implemented in houses here in Malaysia, and they work well, though the no-grabrails part is a bit risky.

By: HoolaGirl

HoolaGirl — Mon, 12 May 2008 02:55:31 +0000

There are other photos on the site which look much more realistic. The photo shown here does look like it was altered in some way.

Just thinking of a staircase like that gives me the willies!

By: Ali S.

Ali S. — Mon, 12 May 2008 02:16:41 +0000

I imagine that it could be quite possible but stable over a long time…good god no!

By: Kat

Kat — Mon, 12 May 2008 02:00:56 +0000

I might trust that to hold a cat but not me!

By: Lore

Lore — Mon, 12 May 2008 01:45:07 +0000

There’s no way that this is physically possible…. right?

By: Aea

Aea — Mon, 12 May 2008 01:33:26 +0000

I hate to be “the one,” but this looks like a photoshop to me.

The bottom stair is abnormally blurry.