How They Pulled It Off: A Modern, Sculptural Staircase Grows in Brooklyn
The clients initially wanted Corten steel. Instead, Lea Architecture used wood to elevate the stairs into a design centerpiece of the three-story duplex.
The clients initially wanted Corten steel. Instead, Lea Architecture used wood to elevate the stairs into a design centerpiece of the three-story duplex.
Welcome to How They Pulled It Off, where we take a close look at one particularly challenging aspect of a home design and get the nitty-gritty details about how it became a reality.
When Jane Lea, principal at Lea Architecture’s clients came to her with their project—a townhouse in Greenpoint, Brooklyn—she knew that the staircase in the home would be the focal point. "The clients are a Swiss and Swedish couple with two children, who split their time between Europe and New York," says Lea. "They really wanted the stairwell to be a main sculptural element in the home. We all recognized that it had the potential for a lot of impact."
The stairs are stained in a custom color that reflects the tones of the other materials in the home.
Photo by Angela Hau
Besides anchoring the space structurally and aesthetically, the exposed stairs needed to allow light to pass between the different levels. While the client was on board from the start about the staircase being a sculptural moment, it took a lot of iterations to find the right design. To capture the idea of the stairwell feeling "contained" or like a continuous chamber or pathway, the architects had to re-engineer the construction of the landings at each level. Additionally, the clients wanted their home to have a Swedish style, which is simple and clean.
Set against the white walls of the home, the staircase stands out as a feature.
Photo by Angela Hau
In the kitchen, the color of the casing echoes the warm tones of the stairs.
Photo by Angela Hau
See the full story on Dwell.com: How They Pulled It Off: A Modern, Sculptural Staircase Grows in Brooklyn
Related stories:
