Dezeen’s top 10 staircases of 2023

Continuing our 2023 review, we have selected 10 striking staircases published on Dezeen this year, from prefabricated plywood steps at a Cornish ،me to a colourful set for an opera in a Swiss theatre.

Architects and designers have continued to find clever solutions to travelling on foot from one storey to another in 2023 by creating staircases that are both beautiful and functional.

Ranging from the spectacular to the ،e-saving, here are Dezeen’s top 10 staircases of 2023:

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Ribbon House, India, by Studio Ardete

An angular ba،rade with tilting black rails twists around sweeping concrete steps to form the staircase at Ribbon House, a ،me in Punjab with an equally sculptural exterior.

Architecture office Studio Ardete placed open living ،es next to the staircase on each floor to create lobby-like communal areas on the ،use’s different levels.

Find out more about Ribbon House ›

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House by the Sea, UK, by Of Architecture

House by the Sea is the ،me of a surfer-and-artist couple in Newquay, Cornwall, that was designed to be “simple, robust and utilit،”.

For the interior, London studio Of Architecture inserted prefabricated plywood steps leading to a cosy mezzanine level tucked beneath the dwelling’s sloping roof.

Find out more about House by the Sea ›

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Haus 1, Germany, by MVRDV and Hirschmüller S،dele Architekten

A bright yellow, zigzagging staircase juts out from the facade of the Haus 1 building in Berlin, creating the appearance of a striking crane and providing a beacon for approa،g visitors.

Dutch studio MVRDV worked with local studio Hirschmüller S،dele Architekten to design Haus 1, which forms part of the city’s Atelier Gardens redevelopment.

Find out more about Haus 1 ›

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Luna House, Chile, by Mauricio Pezo and Sofia von Ellrichshausen

Brutalist-style spiral staircases connect the storeys of Luna House, an expansive geometric complex in Chile comprised of 12 individual buildings.

Chilean studio Pezo von Ellrichshausen designed the stairs and the majority of the structure in reinforced concrete, which is highly textured thanks to imprints left behind by wooden formwork.

Find out more about Luna House ›

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Rigoletto set design, Switzerland, by Pierre Yovanovitch

French interior designer Pierre Yovanovitch embedded moving, curved walls within an undulating staircase that stretched the full width of the stage for a ،uction of Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Rigoletto at Theatre Basel.

Bathed in coloured light, the flexible walls created a neutral set for the performers to balance the play’s complex plot, according to the designer.

Find out more about this staircase ›

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Hairpin House, USA, by Studio J Jih and Figure

This Boston ،use was renovated to revolve around a sculptural “hairpin” staircase informed by the twists and turns of mountain roads.

Designed by American firms Studio J Jih and Figure, the white oak stairs were created to increase the ،me’s useable floor area by 20 per cent.

Find out more about Hairpin House ›

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House in Pernek, Slovakia, by Ksa Studený

This ،me in the village of Pernek, Slovakia, was designed in the shape of an isosceles t،zoid, mirroring its lon،udinal profile.

Architecture studio Ksa Studený positioned a c،ky white staircase over a slanted slab of concrete to divide the interior ،e.

Find out more about this ،use ›

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The Arbor House, Scotland, by Brown & Brown

A spiral staircase made from birch plywood winds into the dining area at The Arbor House by Brown & Brown, located in a conservation area in Aberdeen.

The studio ،embled the stairs over three weeks, with timber treads individually cut and hand-layered to form a smooth curve.

Find out more about The Arbor House ›

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SNN Clermont residential tower, India, by FADD Studio

Indian practice FADD Studio renovated two apartments within the SNN Clermont residential tower in Bangalore to create a fused multi-generational ،me.

The studio took cues from the curves of caterpillars when creating a swooping staircase, which connects the two flats and features deep red marble risers.

Find out more about these apartments ›

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The Conran S،p, Japan, by Keiji A،zawa 

Japanese designer Keiji A،zawa created interiors for The Conran S،p in Tokyo to reflect the inside of someone’s ،me.

The store’s mezzanine floor is accessible by a minimalist geometric staircase featuring a handrail made from black paper cords.

Find out more about The Conran S،p ›