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30 Singaporean Staircases to Lift Your Design Spirits
This collection of staircases in homes around Singapore shows how these practical architectural features can become works of art
In the back alleys of Singapore, rows of spiral staircases traditional to the design of shophouses – terraces used as both retail and residential spaces – are an icon of the urban environment. For many Singaporeans, whether they grew up with a staircase inside their house, or simply remember walking past these iconic exterior spirals, this style of staircase would have held some fascination at some point in their lives. The collection below harkens back to those childhood memories for Singaporeans; for the rest of us, it’s nothing less than a thing of architectural beauty.
1. Reminiscent of the external spiral staircases of traditional shophouses, this stunning white band swirls up the side of the home to its roof deck.
Here’s another angle.
2. Built over an internal water feature, this spiral staircase soars up to the second and third floors in a contemporary, grand-staircase effect.
Photo by Edward Hendricks / CI&A Photography
Photo by Edward Hendricks / CI&A Photography
3. Bold and black against a vertical green wall, this staircase is fabulously photogenic.
4. The combination of graphic floor tiles, wooden stair treads and a bold, black banister creates drama for this sculptural staircase.
Photo by Edward Hendricks / CI&A Photography
Photo by Edward Hendricks / CI&A Photography
5. Wooden elements and the vertical light slats keep this block-y geometric design from looking heavy.
6. This staircase is stunning because of the effect of the white sculptural spiral juxtaposed against the vividly hued and tactile wall finish called Armourcoat…
7. This staircase seemingly floats over water and culminates in the sky.
8. Best of Houzz 2016 winner, this Japanese-inspired staircase has all the elements of Zen: water, a bonsai-effect plant on a floating platform, wood and marble.
See more of this home
See more of this home
9. Adding a super-modern touch to the classic feel of round columns and marble floors, this staircase went viral on our Instagram.
10. Another outdoor staircase, the metal screen banister of this spiral design brings the traditional shophouse stair typology into the present.
Photo by Jeremy San
Photo by Jeremy San
11. Stunning in all-white, this spiral sculpture contrasts beautifully with the trees in the courtyard.
12. This maisonette features a ladder to nowhere and a staircase clad in origami woodwork.
13. The real draw for this sleek spiral staircase is the pool it leads to.
Photo by Chee Keong Photography
Photo by Chee Keong Photography
14. This is how you make an entrance in a stunning home: with a Buddha head on a water feature flanked by a wooden ‘bridge’ and a lighted staircase.
See more ways to use art inside the home
See more ways to use art inside the home
15. An indoor pond leads to this clean-lined wood, glass and steel staircase.
16. Clad in marble; how luxurious is that?
17. The white swirl, wooden stair tread and nearly-non-existent banister are aesthetically pleasing together; but it’s the sliver of sky from above that is the icing on this staircase.
Photo by Albert Lim KS
Photo by Albert Lim KS
18. A round skylight completes the dramatic effect of this spiral staircase.
How to add pizzazz to your boring staircase
How to add pizzazz to your boring staircase
19. Similar to the staircase before it, this one has a skylight that brightens it up.
20. It may look straightforward and functional, but the attraction of this steel and wood staircase is that it connects a traditional shophouse to a contemporary extension.
Photo by Darren Soh
Photo by Darren Soh
21. Aptly named Timber Ribbon House, ribbons of light stream onto the timber stair treads of this linear design.
22. Yes, this is a staircase.
Here it is, viewed from a different perspective. Located in a home in Sentosa, an island resort in Singapore, it’s both futuristic (and reminiscent of Zaha Hadid’s curvilinear massing) and brings to mind the fluidity of the ocean.
Photos by Erhard Pfeiffer
Trailblazing architect Zaha Hadid
Photos by Erhard Pfeiffer
Trailblazing architect Zaha Hadid
23. Steel rods used as a banister, and a vibrantly coloured armchair, create a stunning vignette.
24. This beauty gives a bent wood effect, and its light birch colour against the white walls of the sun-drenched stairwell further emphasises its contemporary Japanese feel.
At its bottom, a little stone garden adds to the Zen effect.
25. Ever seen a washbasin in the middle of a staircase?
Photo by Darren Soh
Photo by Darren Soh
26. The perforated metal elements of this staircase give it a gorgeous lantern effect.
Spiral staircases have their turn in the spotlight
Spiral staircases have their turn in the spotlight
Here’s a view of it, unlit.
Photos by Ong Boon Chian
Photos by Ong Boon Chian
27. Floating stair treads enhance the dramatic geometry of this home.
28. Not a full staircase, from the same home as #27, this one is designed for the loft level. It blends so well with the shelves and walls.
29. The steel rods of this staircase make it appear as if it is suspended from the ceiling.
30. Finally… although this staircase is not as big and dramatic as the others, it’s dachshund-friendly!
TELL US
What’s your favourite staircase? Share in the Comments section below.
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Browse more staircases from around the world
TELL US
What’s your favourite staircase? Share in the Comments section below.
MORE
Browse more staircases from around the world