Galilee, St-Joost-ten-Node [BE]

EeStairs + Binst Architecture nv

This truly monumental staircase, in an office building in Belgium, put our engineering and installation teams to the test. Apart from the wood facings for the treads and risers, the stairs are made entirely of steel, including the super-smooth EeSoffit™. We also made and installed the glass balustrade on the upper floor balcony.

The two flights of stairs are 6m wide and rise 5m to the first floor, so the massive weight of the structure and the cantilevered mid-point landing meant that we had to calculate the overall structural performance very accurately. The staircase was completely assembled, and then segmented into sections that could be passed into the reception area through a small aperture, and then reassembled seamlessly in situ.

The final touch – coating the steel with black lacquer – was also challenging. We initial found that standard lacquers did not adhere securely to the metal, so we extended our research and testing until we found a lacquer that would achieve the best and most durable finish.