DETAIL 4.2014

From the editorial DETAIL 4.2014

Stairs, Ramps, Lifts

Stairs are much more than mere links between different levels. As vertical elements of architecture, they can create arresting spatial displays. For example, the dynamic, black staircase sculpture in the UN building in Copenhagen by 3XN (page 315) is the focus of the six-storey foyer.
As architect Kim Herforth Nielsen describes in an interview on page 272, stairs are a means of stimulating communication. The same concept is pursued by Angela Fritsch in her design for an international school (page 294), where the broad, open staircase forms a central feature of the building, providing areas where pupils can sit. In contrast, the route through the Danish Maritime Museum in Elsinore by BIG (page 307) is staged as a sequence of ramps and bridges that offer constantly changing and spectacular spatial impressions.