sculptural Archives

Our latest lookbook features eight sculptural staircases made of wood that make a statement and bring warmth to apartments from Hong Kong to Boston.

Often the organizing principle in the planning of any space, a staircase can either blend in or stand out.

The eight gathered in this lookbook lean into the latter – showcasing both the structural abilities of wood like larch, birch and plywood and demonstrating how circulation need not be boring.

From a completely pre-fabricated staircase in a Boston apartment to a plywood spiral staircase twisting from the loft of a renovated barn in the Netherlands, these sculptural stairs create a visually striking centrepiece, as well as a fun way to traverse a house.

This is the latest in our lookbooks series, which provides visual inspiration from Dezeen’s archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks featuring rustic Italian interiors, autumnal bedrooms and show-stealing dining room tables.

Hairpin House, USA, Studio J Jih and Figure

Located in Boston’s South End neighbourhood, this historic townhouse renovation sees a four-storey interior plan wrapped around a white oak staircase that spirals around a 40-foot-high (12-metre-high) atrium.

“Aptly named Hairpin House, the project takes the tight, unpredictable, and ultimately poetic switchback turns of a mountain road as inspiration for the overall renovation – and in particular a new unravelling central stair,” said the design team.

Find out more about Hairpin House ›

Linehouse Cape Drive residence — Photo by Jonathan Leijonhufvud

Cape Drive Residence, Hong Kong, Linehouse

Just a short walk from the beaches of Hong Kong’s south side, this three-storey house channels “coastal essence” through natural materials and light, Chinese studio Linehouse told Dezeen.

An “easy flow” was also imbued into the design, created in part by a timber stairwell that’s tucked to the side and – save for a white metallic screen – is open to the living spaces.

Find out more about Cape Drive Residence ›

A wooden staircase with a planting bed at the base — Photo by Frank Frances

Mass Timber House, USA, Schiller Projects

According to design studio Schiller Projects, this renovated carriage home in Brooklyn is the borough’s first single-family residence that uses mass timber construction.

Besides repurposed wooden elements like timber panels and floorboards used for the project, the house features a pre-fabricated glue-laminated timber (glulam) staircase that can be completely disassembled.

Find out more about Mass Timber House ›

Plywood spiral staircase in Barn at the Ahof by Julia van Beuningen — Photo by Alex Baxter

Barn at the Ahof, the Netherlands, Julia van Beuningen

Architectural designer Julia Van Beuningen converted this Gelderland barn into a holiday home complete with a spiral staircase made out of plywood at the heart of the floor plan, which contrasts the more rustic materials of the surrounding building.

“This is very different and very unusual in a barn like this,” said Van Beuningen. “It’s something you either love or hate, but it’s definitely a statement.”

Find out more about Barn at the Ahof ›

Carroll Gardens Townhouse, USA, Starling Architecture and Emily Lindberg Design

New York studios Starling Architecture and Emily Lindberg Design merged a two-family dwelling into one for the owner’s growing family.

White oak running throughout the two units unifies the project, which includes the addition of a new wooden staircase covered by a slated screen made of the same material.

Find out more about Carroll Gardens Townhouse ›

Larch Loft extension in London by Whittaker Parsons — Photo by Jim Stephenson

Stoke Newington loft, UK, Whittaker Parsons

Architecture firm Whittaker Parsons was tasked with adding a loft to a house in Stoke Newington, London, as well as updating spaces throughout the lower floors.

With efficiency and quality in mind, the studio used prefabricated structural insulated panels (SIP) to construct the new loft. The space is accessed by a spiral staircase made of larch that’s topped with a skylight.

Find out more about Stoke Newington loft ›

Staircase and kitchen in Dragon Flat by Tsuruta Architects — Photo is by Tim Croker

Dragon Flat, UK, Tsuruta Architects

A floating timber staircase features in this flat in London, which is outfitted with walls CNC-etched with images of peonies, dragons, bats and the Thames.

The central staircase allows light to filter into the kitchen and living room below, while solid timber bricks act as landings on either side.

Find out more about Dragon Flat ›

Elsternwick Penthouse in Melbourne by Office Alex Nicholls — Photo by Rory Gardiner

Elsternwick penthouse, Australia, Office Alex Nicholls

The timber staircases in this Melbourne house were integrated into its “library spine” an organizing corridor that contains the family’s collection of books, art and artefacts.

“From a practical standpoint, it allowed everything to be easily accessible and displayed but it also helps to draw people through the apartment and celebrate the two staircases to the roof garden at either end,” said Office Alex Nicholls founder Alex Nicholls.

Find out more about Elsternwick penthouse ›

Reference

Interior Design

EBBA designs sculptural pop-up for Rotaro at London store Liberty

By Zarkon Group,28/06/2023

London-based studio EBBA Architects has channelled the environmental ethos of fashion rental platform Rotaro for its pop-up boutique at department store Liberty.

The project aimed to show that beautiful and interesting spaces can be created for temporary use, while still considering the environmental impacts of materials and construction.

“We are very aware of our environmental impact and we believe design should speak to this, while also trying to make a unique experience for the visitor,” EBBA founder Benjamin Allan told Dezeen.

“Rotaro is all about fashion rental, as a response to waste in the industry,” he added. “Circularity is key to their ethos and we wanted to connect to this, both in the use of material and form.”

Bringing definition to Rotaro’s space within the wider store, EBBA has demarcated the area with a pair of substantial columns, each with an elongated, semi-circular cross-section.

“The position and shape of the columns create the sense of walking into an entirely new space within the historic context of Liberty,” said Allan.

The studio demarcated the area with a pair of substantial columns

Entwining the two columns, a pair of metal rails have the dual function of creating a display area and introducing a sculptural element that further defines the space, with soaring, free-form curves.

“The two rails rotate and wrap around each of the columns, while also simultaneously responding to the opposite rail, a bit like a choreographed piece,” Allan said.

Cork column at Rotaro pop-up in Liberty — Cork is the project’s primary material

Continuing the theme of duality, just two key materials have been used in the space – cork and metal.

EBBA was influenced by the work of artists Donald Judd and Carl Andre and their elevation of humble materials through detailing and construction.

Metal rails by EBBA for the Rotaro pop-up — A pair of metal rails have a dual function

“We always look to push the potential of a project, to make the most impact through the simplest of means and also address the need to be economical,” Allan said.

“Essentially the design revolves around only two materials which, working together, give a sense of regularity in the layouts of the blocks, combined with the sculptural forms of the rails.”

Garments hanging from metal rails — Curated garments hang from the rails

Cork was used as the primary material, cladding the two columns and creating the backdrops that zone Rotaro’s area.

EBBA aimed to use a material that had an environmental quality, while using the standardisation of the blocks to set parameters for the design.

“We chose blocks of a specific dimension that could then be adapted to create both the walls and the columns themselves,” Allan said.

“The cork is a natural material that has an inherent warmth and depth, while also being incredibly versatile and easily recycled,” he added.

Textured ultramarine plinth — Texture characterises the pop-up shop

Brushed stainless steel was used for the metalwork, with each rail comprised of a single piece of metal that was bent and sculpted to wrap around the columns.

This rail’s curving form relates to the idea of circularity in Rotaro’s business model, while also bringing an adaptability to the space by allowing the garments to be shown in a variety of ways.

Stainless steel railing for Rotaro by EBBA — Brushed stainless steel was used for the metalwork

“The primary purpose is to display the continuously updated collection while also adding a sculptural aspect that helps to create a sense of space,” said Allan.

Within the ornately-detailed Liberty store, the project offers a bold, contemporary response to the interior, while finding common ground with the wider building.

Curving metal rail — The rail’s curving form relates to the idea of circularity

“The tones and textures in the warmth of the cork, tie in with the timber and natural colours of Liberty’s interior spaces,” Allan said. “Detailing and decoration in the original columns relate to nature and vegetation, which also tie into the use of cork and its qualities.”

Because the Liberty building has Grade II listed status, no fixings were allowed into the building fabric.

“The benefit of the lightweight cork material meant we could also adapt the Rotaro space with minimal impact on the wider building,” he added.

Lightweight cork column at Rotaro by EBBa — Cork was chosen for being lightweight

To create a plinth that provides a flat surface for displaying objects, EBBA used the same semi-circular form of the columns, but flipped onto its side.

This element has been given an ultramarine blue coating to add a sense of playfulness and catch the attention of visitors, using one of Rotaro’s key colours to connect with the brand’s identity.

Semi-circular plinth with ultramarine coating — A semi-circular plinth features an ultramarine blue coating

While the space has been designed as a pop-up, EBBA worked – through the quality of the materials and the construction of the walls and blocks – to give it a sense of permanence.

“All of our projects aim to achieve a quality of permanence through the use of natural materials and the detailing of the construction,” Allan said.

“We believe that this level of quality helps to create a design that feels purposeful, even for temporary uses.”

Other recent projects by EBBA Architects include a shop for Cubitts in an old pie-and-mash restaurant and a house extension with brutalist-style materials.

The photography is by James Retief

Reference

Architecture

Matt Gibson adds sculptural extension to Victorian Melbourne home

By Zarkon Group,15/04/2023

Australian studio Matt Gibson Architecture + Design has transformed a Victorian home in Melbourne’s suburbs with a faceted extension clad in black metal.

Located in the suburb of South Yarra, the house on St Martins Lane has been expanded with a three-storey rear extension to better accommodate the needs of the family living there.

The house occupies a long, thin site at the end of a row of Victorian terraces that are surrounded by low-rise warehouses and townhouses.

To preserve the heritage of the home, Matt Gibson Architecture + Design has retained several of its original elements including its street-facing Victorian facade.

Exterior of St Martins Lane extension in Melbourne by Matt Gibson Architecture + Design — It has a faceted form clad in black metal

“[The house is] a case study in vertical family living on a confined site,” explained the studio.

“[It addresses] issues of densification and growing population demand whilst adaptively reusing and retaining key heritage fabric.”

Faceted black extension to white-brick house — A new entrance has been created on the adjacent lane

As part of the project, Matt Gibson Architecture + Design shifted the home’s main entrance from the street edge to a cobbled lane that runs down the side of the plot.

This new entry point sits towards the centre of the site and is marked internally with a glazed stair that bridges the existing house to the sculptural extension.

Monochrome kitchen by Matt Gibson Architecture + Design — The old part of the house has been updated with a new kitchen

“The stair has full view of the laneway, activating it and providing a level of security and community connection,” said Matt Gibson Architecture + Design.

The placement of this staircase also divides the home into two wings – one old and one new.

Inside, the old part of the house has been updated with a new kitchen and a main bedroom suite, while the extension contains a living space, two bedrooms, a study and cascading terraces.

The two wings are distinguished externally by their contrasting material finishes, including white-painted brick and intricate wooden filigree on the old Victorian house, and the faceted black laser-cut metal facade of the extension.

Interior of St Martins Lane extension in Melbourne by Matt Gibson Architecture + Design — The extension contains the living space

Perforations in the metal make reference to the original architecture of the house and allow light and ventilation into the bedrooms while providing privacy.

A sliding gate reveals a path of mossy stones that lead from the cobbled lane to an enclosed porch of black metal and marble. The porch gives views through to the living space and garden beyond and contains a monolithic door that opens into a tiled hallway featuring the main staircase.

Enclosed garden — There are a series of outdoor spaces

The ground floor is given over to generous communal spaces. This includes a kitchen of blackened wood and dark marble in the old part of the house and a bright living room in the new wing with a sculptural concrete stair leading to a basement library.

Both the kitchen and living room are bookended by enclosed outdoor spaces with green borders.

Roof terrace in Melbourne — A rooftop deck crowns the home

On the upper floors of the home are the family’s bedrooms and the outdoor terraces overlooking the trees beyond the site. A warm wood-panelled stair from the second floor leads to a roof deck that crowns the extension.

“Through arranging the building vertically there is an increase in outdoor space coverage to now over 50 per cent of the site area,” said Gibson. “Previously [it was] 10 per cent.”

Matt Gibson Architecture + Design was founded in 2003. The studio has completed several other refurbishments and extensions across Melbourne, including a home with courtyards and glazed bridge and a redbrick extension with glazed undercroft.

The photography is by Shannon McGrath.

Reference

Interior Design

Halleroed inserts sculptural travertine plinths in Axel Arigato’s Paris store

By Zarkon Group,05/07/2021

Design studio Halleroed has used travertine podiums to display sneakers like sculptures in the Paris store of streetwear label Axel Arigato.

Located in the Marais district on Rue Vieille du Temple, the boutique stocks the brand’s full range of footwear, clothing and accessories, in addition to a curated selection of design objects.

The store occupies two rooms divided by a freestanding wall of light-yellow travertine, which references the columns and beams found in classical architecture.

Walls and floors are finished in raw concrete while overhead, a punctured grid ceiling conceals the store’s lighting system.

A series of sculptural display plinths made from honed, bush-hammered or raw travertine stone help to create a “grandiose” entrance, designed to emulate the feeling of stepping into an art gallery.

Retail interior by Halleroed with shoes displayed on travertine blocks — A freestanding travertine wall divides the space into two

“The normal model for a sneaker brand is to cover every centimetre of the back walls in products from floor to ceiling,” Axel Arigato‘s co-founder and creative director Max Svärdh told Dezeen.

“We do the opposite by displaying our product on podiums in the centre of the room instead, like a piece of sculpture.”

Close-up of travertine stone table in Axel Arigato Paris store — The stone was hammered, honed or left raw

Travertine was also used to form a series of shelves in the rear of the store and custom chairs in the dressing room.

According to Svärdh, the stone has been a key element in all of Axel Arigato’s retail locations so far.

Mirroed steel clothes rail in retail interior by Halleroed — A mirrored steel clothes rail wraps the back of the store

“Our brand colour is a pale yellow so we were naturally drawn to the light yellow travertine,” he explained.

“We worked with different finishes to bring out its characteristics and more specifically highlight its impurities, which in itself makes it more beautiful.”

To contrast with the travertine, Halleroed wrapped an upholstered bench seat around one of the columns and introduced a chunky, stainless steel clothes rail.

This lines the store’s back wall and extends out into a courtyard filled with white gravel.

Travertine wall, mirrored clothes rail and upholstered bench in Axel Arigato Paris store — An upholstered bench is wrapped around a central column

Axel Arigato was launched in 2014 as an online store for luxury streetwear. It opened its first brick-and-mortar space in London’s Soho in 2016 and has since expanded into four standalone spaces.

“We always look to the neighbourhood and the specific building that we are in [when designing a store],” Svärdh said.

“Paris is the home of luxury and the use of rich travertine stone really embodies that. All standalone stores have a gallery-esque feeling to them with mutual design codes but offer completely unique experiences.”

White sneaker on travertine shelves in retail interior by Halleroed — The displays are designed to exhibit trainers as if they were sculptures

A large freestanding LED screen is used for displaying creative content in the Paris store.

The brand has previously worked with Halleroed – founded in 1998 by Christian and Ruxandra Halleroed – on its London, Stockholm and Copenhagen flagship stores, which all feature monochromatic colour palettes and concrete surfaces.

Photograhy is by Benoit Florençon.

Reference

sculptural

Eight sculptural wooden staircases that bring warmth to the home

Matt Gibson adds sculptural extension to Victorian Melbourne home

Halleroed inserts sculptural travertine plinths in Axel Arigato’s Paris store

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