Vertebrae Staircase

concept design – 2013

Inspired by the spine of a whale, the Vertebrae Staircase is just as much biomimicry as it is an exploration in shaping structure. Much of the design work went into refining the single component, or vertebra, that mate with each other creating a unified spine running from floor to floor. These interlocking vertebrae create a rigid and self-supporting structure and when all the connections are made, continuous structural spirals run through every vertebra at the hand rail and beside each step. The Vertebrae Staircase is a reconfiguration of a familiar form, resulting in a unique and functional design.

In 2013, the Vertebrae Staircase was featured on ArchDaily, Dezeen and numerous other online publications as well as in several print publications around the world. Read the ArchDaily article here and the Dezeen article here.