Tight spaces present tough challenges for stairway designers. In a mixed-occupancy building, this frequent design problem was solved with a unique floating stair with an open design that offered several advantages—a convenient, space-saving solution, the required functionality and safety, and a rich blend of wood and black metal that provides the perfect up-tempo look for an older, urban commercial space.
The two-story building in Indianapolis was built in 1935 and primarily served as an optometrist’s office. The owner wanted to take advantage of the building’s prime location near the home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts by renovating the building’s underutilized second floor into three upscale rental condominiums. He needed an eye-catching stairway to fit the space and add to the perceived value of the upstairs units. An online search for floating stairs led him to Viewrail.
The street-level entry space was extremely tight, and needed to accommodate a bustling optometric business. The Viewrail design team considered a typical switchback configuration as well as a simple 90-degree turn. But neither option maximized the space.
The solution was to create two 90-degree turns, using three separate steel stringers supporting five, five, and eleven treads and consuming a footprint of just 13'-8" x 11'-2". The owner selected unfinished red-oak treads, black powder-coated aluminum posts, and cable railing.
“We’re seeing the results we hoped for,” says Vince Shimp, owner of the building. “We wanted an upscale look to complement the other high-end materials we used in the upstairs condos. After just five months, we have over a hundred 5-star ratings on Airbnb.”
