Staircases: The Architecture of Ascent

Staircases: The Architecture of Ascent, with an introduction by Oscar Tusquets Blanca contains 236 beautiful images of unique staircases, many photographed specifically for this book. We are taken through the centuries and see architecture as varied as that of the ancient staircase of the Maya pyramid at Chichen Itza to The Baroque  Jordan staircase in The Winter Palace  at St. Petersburg to the stunning spiral at the Flemish Centre for Contemporary Art Glass in Lommel, Belgium.  A most informative tome on the significance of many grand staircases around the world.

The Navy (later renamed The Nelson Stair) Staircase at Somerset House in London designed by architect William Chambers. c.1775

One of the stunning cast-iron staircases in the State Law Library of Iowa in Des Moines. (1884)

The staircase of The Palazzo Canossa in Mantua, Spain was built in the 17th Century, then refurbished in 1779 by Paolo Pozzo. The statuary evoke the spirit of the Baroque.

Built by Edward Riedel, Christian Jank, and Georg Dollman, this is the stunning  staircase leading up to the apartments of Ludwig II of Bavaria at his castle in Neuschwanstein. The decorative details combine both the Gothic and the exotic. Designed by Julius Hofmann in 1881. 

This Art Nouveau staircase and entry detailed with mosaics, stone, and wood with exposed steel pillars is in a Victor Horta ( architect) townhome built for the Tassel family in Brussels.  (1892)  Classified in 2000 as a UNESCO World Heritage Site

I M. Pei's stunning staircase at the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar (2008) 

This book is a must have on the holiday wish list for both men and women.

To purchase:  Staircases The Architecture of Ascent 

Authors: Oscar Tusquets Blanca, Martine Diot, Adelaïde de Savray, Jérôme Coignard, Jean Dethier

Copy courtesy of The Vendome Press  

Images courtesy of The Vendome Press

Thank you to my many readers who avidly support The Arts 

xoxo

Karena

The Arts by Karena