The Evolution of the Cantilever Staircase

About The Evolution of the Cantilever Staircase

The cantilever staircase has evolved since it’s conception sometime around the 17th century. The first constructed cantilever staircase that historians know of in England seems to date back to around 1629 to 1635 and was commissioned to be built for Queen Henrietta Maria. This cantilever staircase was designed and realised by Inigo Jones, a significant architect at the time and the first widely renowned English architect of the early modern era. 

Jones was the first architect to employ rules of proportion and symmetry into his words and thus produced some of the most elegant architectural feats of his time. Although these stairs were deemed to be the first of their kind, there is some debate regarding the structural integrity of the stairs, and whether or not they were in fact truly ‘cantilevered’. Other similar and notable later works in the field of cantilevering stairs include the staircases of Chatsworth House from 1688 to 1691, and that of William Chambers’ staircases in Somerset House in the late 18th century. 

The geometric stairs in St Paul’s cathedral are also a great example of cantilevering stairs, showing us that this method of staircase engineering can produce some truly beautiful results. The staircase at St Paul’s cathedral was designed by Christopher Wren in 1705 and built by William Kempster, featuring 528 spiralling steps.

A cantilevered staircase is a staircase that is structurally supported from only one of its sides and is commonly referred to in modern interior design as a ‘floating staircase’ due to its characteristics. A ‘cantilever’ in and of itself is simply a beam which is anchored at only one end - this is where the moniker of ‘cantilevered stairs’ is derived from. Now typically constructed using steel support beams that are fitted into the adjacent walls, they can give your home an extremely modern and simplistic air. 

Staircase styles

Modern cantilevering steps, unlike their stone predecessors in the examples above, are usually constructed from wood and look great when paired with glass panels on the side parallel to the supporting wall. Though spiralling staircases are still a common feature in many homes and other buildings throughout the world today, people implementing this design choice into their homes today generally settle upon linear staircase designs.

Floating staircases are extremely versatile, not only are they installed indoors, but depending on the type of stair tread, they can be installed outdoors too. The fact that floating staircases take up less space than regular staircases means that those in small apartments or in homes with limited space can feel as though less space is being encroached upon by an unnecessarily bulky feat of engineering. With a floating staircase, each step is staggered meaning that light can flow more easily through compact living spaces and make your home seem brighter, more open, and more spacious.

A cantilever staircase is extremely safe, contrary to how some of us may think instinctively seeing them for the first time. Engineers of these types of staircases now adhere to strict requirements ensuring they are just as safe, if not safer, than regular staircases. Floating staircases are easy to child-proof, so those of us with children needn’t worry – wider treads and glass railings will ensure that your new cantilevering stairs are super safe for small children. You can rest assured that you don’t have to perform a risk assessment before deciding to have a floating staircase fitted!

Although a fantastic design choice when looking at interior design concepts for your new, or current, home, cantilevering stairs can cost you a pretty penny. Whilst conventional staircase designs can be relatively inexpensive to implement in one’s home, you could be looking at spending upwards of around £10,000 to build your dream floating staircase, these prices can vary drastically though, and some of the most expensive designs can set you back anywhere up to around £80,000. 

Having said this, there are many budget solutions that shouldn’t hurt your pocket too much and the price tag definitely should dissuade you from upgrading your home with one of these beautiful staircase options. From cathedrals to cottages, the evolution of the cantilevering staircase is an interesting one, and still ongoing to this day.

Resources:

• Contemporary Staircases - GitLab
• Spiral Stone Staircase - Thinkific
• Curved Staircase Design - Peatix
• Cantilever Staircases - Homify