Designed Stairs

Designed Stairs has the experience to design structural, open-riser staircases that are also beautiful works of contemporary art.

  • Amazing Stairs: The Miraculous Staircase of Loretto Chapel

    Spiral staircase at Loretto Chapel

    The Spiral Staircase at the Loretto Chapel in Santa Fe New Mexico is truly an Amazing Stair. The stair winds approximately 760 degrees total, more than two full turns, and is made of Spruce; it ascends a total of 22 ft. from floor to floors.

    The joinery used on the treads, risers, stringers, and even the stair backing and subsequent plaster, all work together to create a “torsion box” effect, giving the stair some rigidity; however, its main source of support is from the tight radius of the inside “boxed stringer” which has a “stringer leg” attached below the start of the stair which gives the first 180 degrees direct support from the floor. The stair originally shook quite a bit when walked on and two iron brackets were added to stabilize the stair between the wall and a support column.

    Although experienced staircase engineers and designers would agree that the stair is short of miraculous and could be replicated, it is a beautiful design and a great example of master craftsmanship from the time period.

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  • Amazing Stairs: Gone with the Wind — Welcome to Tara

    Gone With the Wind - Tara Stair

    The 1939 film Gone With The Wind features four beautiful staircases that have come to define the elegance, grace and grandeur of interior stair design.

    Tara, the O’Hara family plantation, features a U-shaped staircase with Georgian style design and a stain and paint finish. The handrail is an approximately 5″ wide and 4″ high “box rail” and the balusters are 2 inch square top and bottom, reflective of Georgian design.

    The stair ascends from a beautiful half circle starting tread and descending volute on the left hand side for 12 treads to the oversized landing. The horizontal rail at the landing lifts up with 90 degree upeasings on each end between the newel posts. The stair then continues for another 8 treads to the 2nd floor.

    Interestingly, there never was a second floor as this stair was built on a sound stage for the filming of the interior scenes of the film, then torn down immediately after filming was completed. The exterior set of Tara was only a facade for filming and had no interior detail.

    The staircase was designed by Lyle Wheeler who won an Academy Award for his design work on the 90 sets and 50 full size buildings used in the Movie. Even though Tara’s staircase was short lived, it’s place in film history as well as American history makes it an amazing staircase.

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