Residence, Den Haag [NL]

EeStairs + STIJNVANDENBOOGAARD ARCHITECTURE

The design of these two-stage stairs in a private home in The Hague, Netherlands, has both traditional and contemporary characteristics, and we collaborated with Stijn van den Boogaard Architecture to ensure that the geometry and detailing was fully and accurately expressed.

At first glance, the geometry looks straightforward – two partial ellipses. But notice the way the top step of the first flight meets the landing: the architect wanted the radiuses of the two staircases to be geometrically identical, and to achieve that in the available plan area the oak top step of the lower flight has an asymmetrical shape cut seamlessly into the oak floor of the landing; and there is an identical angular inset at the base of the upper flight.

The design is also unusual in bringing together ‘historic’ and contemporary materials. The cast iron balusters, with an oak handrail, were made by our craftsmen, and our EeSoffit™ gives the underside of the staircases perfectly smooth, geometrically precise surfaces.