Staircases over time

Abstract

The stair is defined as an ‘ascending series’ or ‘flight of steps’ leading from level to another, usually from one floor to another, as in a house, so called a staircase. The word itself is derived from Old Teutonic staigri, and the terms stairway and staircase have come to signify the collective component comprising the steps, supporting framework, banister, balustrades and handrail, if applicable. Stairs are an architectural component whose primary purpose is that of physically connecting spaces at different levels and, in the process, providing access from one level to another. They come in different forms and stereotomy, from the straight flight of steps to complex helical and spiral forms, they can be totally open or hemmed in between walls and made of different materials, ranging from timber, to stone, concrete, metal and even glass.