Let there be light. And shadow

The effects of light and shadow are of the greatest importance to every aspect of architecture. Le Corbusier said that “light and shadow reveal form”, and five hundred years before Corb, Leonardo da Vinci was fascinated by contrasts between light and dark in buildings. We are, too! What would Bernini’s grand staircase at the Vatican be without the effects of light and shadow?

When we design and construct stairs, we always consider the relationship between form and light at early design stages. It’s a key factor because we know that light and shadow will bring the graphic, sculptural, and material qualities of the stairs to life. And this influences the choice and combination of the materials used for the stair structures, and even how we design and craft the smallest joints and details.

The staircases here show how – in very different ways – light and shadow gives them their very particular qualities of drama, precision, geometry, and atmosphere.