The highs and the lows
Staircases are quite a fascinating feature of design and technology, serving a very specific purpose – to connect different levels of a building – but also providing a unique opportunity for interior design. The development of the staircase is a brilliant example of human creativity and problem-solving, and even in modern times where we may feel that we have mastered the engineering required for spiral staircases, cantilevered staircases and countless innovative uses of stairs, there are always new heights to be reached.
Earliest Known Constructed Staircase
The earliest known staircases were found in the ancient settlement of Çatalhöyük in modern-day Turkey, and were akin to modern ladders. The settlement is made up of mudbrick houses that were crammed together and accessed by holes in the ceiling and doors on the side of the houses, with doors reached by vertical stairs. Inside the dwellings, steep staircases lead to raised platforms. The site has been dated to between 7400 and 6200 BC providing evidence that Neolithic people were already constructing simple staircases to use in their everyday lives.
Oldest Wooden Staircase
The oldest wooden staircase in Europe was discovered in the Hallstatt salt mine in Austria in 2002 and has been dated to 1344 BC. The timbered staircase was built in order to allow miners to climb over piles of waste material and is estimated to be around ten metres long and just over a metre wide – not all of the staircase is visible or accessible due to much of it still being buried within the mountain.
The staircase was found in the prehistoric part of the mine, which is one of the oldest known salt mines and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The stairs have been dated using dendrochronology and other analysis to the Bronze Age after being well preserved by the salty environment for over 3000 years.
Longest Staircase
The world’s longest staircase is located at the Niesenbahn funicular railway in Switzerland dating from 1910. The service staircase has 11,674 steps and climbs 1,669 meters (5,476 ft). The stairs are usually for use by employees only, but there is a public run up the formidable steps called “Niesenlauf” which is held once a year.
Tallest Steel Ladder Staircase
The Zhaojue Valley Kede Cultural Tourism Staircase in China is a supported steel staircase built into a mountain to connect a remote village at the top with shops, schools and other amenities below. The staircase is 1,214 ft 2.4 in (370.100 m) tall, making it the tallest – or ‘greatest vertical height’ – supported steel staircase in the world.
Longest Spiral Staircase
A spiral staircase installed in the White County Coal LLC, Pattiki Mine, Carmi, Illinois, USA by Systems Control in May 1981 measures 336m or 1103ft deep with 1520 steps. The mine has since been closed, but the record remains in place for now.
Tallest Freestanding Spiral Staircase
The Coda Building in Atlanta is a 21 storey building that opened in 2019, with 645,000 square feet of office space and 22,000 square feet of publicly accessible restaurant and retail space. Where both wings of the Coda tower unite, a 16-floor cylindrical protrusion houses the “collaboration core,” comprising six three-story atria connected by the world’s tallest spiral staircase. This impressive construction includes 355 treads and 16 landing platforms and is a fine example of how a concrete staircase can provide a high-end finish.
Limitless Possibilities
Whilst we have never created a record breaking staircase here at Spiral UK, we are one of the country’s leading spiral staircase manufacturers with four decades of expertise within the construction industry. We have every confidence that we can help you to create the perfect bespoke staircase for your project, no matter the size or design constraints. If you’d like to find out more about our services from design to installation, you can contact our friendly team to discuss your needs.