Stairway to Heaven

Staircases are the vernacular architectural method for traversing to higher planes, an analogy that has not been lost on the administrators of this site. By being successful in this staircase of leagues, one can dream of reaching the very heights of heaven, a place of divine glory. Each league has it owns rules regarding promotion and relegation, as well as automatic qualification for The Knockout Competition.

Staircases and their designs are a response to the type of society for which they were built and, among other things, inform us about the existing state of the arts, fashion, and technology. They are public, and secret, become landmarks and trademarks, a constant source of inspiration, a never-ending story; they have been and will remain a stimulus to new and different interpretations, as there can always be an innovative solution to a perennial architectural problem.

Among all of the other architectural elements, staircases occupy a special position and can — and very often do — overshadow the very building of which they are a part. The skill with which some stairs, past or present, have been built very often stretches the limits of human imagination.

Sometimes it is the technical knowledge that sweeps us off our feet, another time the appearance, the form, materials, or specific detailing. Staircases are an integral part of our daily life, as much as a special event or a memorable experience.