Cantilevered stairs
{{Short description|Stairs that appear to float}}
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Cantilevered stairs, or floating stairs, are a type of staircase.
A cantilever is a beam, which is anchored at only one end. Thus cantilevered stairs have a "floating" appearance, and they may be composed of different materials, such as wood, glass, stone, or stainless steel.{{Cite web |title=A cantilever is a beam,the impression of floating stairs. |date=17 June 2013 |url=https://architectureideas.info/2013/06/cantilevered-stairs/#:}}
History
In "I quattro libri dell'architettura", Andrea Palladio commended staircases that are "void in the middle, because they can have the light from above" and because it is visible whether someone is already ascending or descending the stairs.{{cite web |last1=Taylor |first1=Russell |title=Stone Cantilevered Stairs |url=https://www.buildingconservation.com/articles/stonecantstairs/stonecantstairs.htm |publisher=The Building Conservation Directory |access-date=30 November 2024}}
Inigo Jones and Nicholas Stone used the technique in the Tulip Staircase at Queen's House. Such stairs became common in the 18th and 19th centuries in Scotland, where they were known as "pencheck" stairs, used in Edinburgh townhouses and tenements, as well as in stately homes by Robert Adam.{{cite journal |last1=Simpson |first1=James |title=The Evolving Stair --The development of the stair in Scottish architecture |journal=Architectural Heritage |date=July 2007 |volume=18 |issue=1 |pages=110-112 |doi=10.3366/arch.2007.18.1.99 }}
References
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External links and references
- [https://www.viewrail.com/floating-stairs/about-floating-stairs/ On installation of cantilever stairs]
- [https://www.familyhandyman.com/article/stair-codes-rise-run-and-nosing/ International codes, relating to their construction]
- [https://inspectapedia.com/Stairs/Stair_Tread_Dimensions.php Statistics on cantilever stairs]
- [https://www.viewrail.com/floating-stairs/what-are-floating-stairs/#: What are floating stairs?]
Category:Pedestrian infrastructure
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