Yes - they do exist: perfect stairs! You can stride down in a majestic way - just in the middle of the red carpet, without having to look down anxiously or fumbling for the banister. You can hold your head up high and the imaginary train follows you lightly.
You find these stairs in Berlin's castles, or here in the photo in the Bode museum. Some are made from wood, some of marble
The steps are lower than in ordinary stairs - so the knees of old people would not ache, and the beautiful Ladies could make an exciting entrance.
I love to use them, very, very much - and I am angry with modern architects and builders: the knowledge how to do it is there - but greed and avarice hinders them to use such precious craftmanship.
Nice stairs. Easier than those ones in Amsterdam houses!
ReplyDeleteOr the one we mounted last year up into the cupola of the St. Peter's dome...
DeleteMy favourite stairs are in the James Joyce Hotel in Trieste. It's like ascending into a spiral cave. I think two people cannot pass. The building is very old and the stairs like those up the inside of a castle rampart fit to the scene. Joyce actually stayed there. I like to think he may have slept in my room.
ReplyDeleteIsn't Google a marvel? I actually found a photo of those stairs you mentioned - the look quite alarming! (I always wonder how many English women fell to death on their stairs - with Laura Asley leading the way...)
DeleteTo sleep in the room where a great genius has slept before: fascinating, because nothing on earth gets lost, and remains (in what form ever), I would also be awestruck!
Yes, they are perfect. I fear I would still need the rail.
ReplyDeleteOr you let a modern King take your hand, Joanne!
Delete....and in the Winter Palace there are such stairs as well. They are 'easy'....and why can't all stairs be like that. The stairs in our new-old cottage are evil. I have told The Great Dane that one of us will end up at the bottom one morning. We will have an architect in this year to re-build them.
ReplyDeleteSo people know how to build stairs, Pondside!
DeleteAs to your plans to replace an "evil" one: good! I have a healthy respect for /against? steep stairs. And I always grip the rail to the cellar here in Berlin - and walk down in a very strange way (I have to to bring down the garbage): slippery lacquered bricks - small and steep -- and when it rains -- I don't care if I look as if I am a movement-idiot... better that and safe than a flying trapeze artist! :-)
I too get annoyed about steep uncomfortable stairways which are really trying for humans to walk up and down as they get older. Shallow steps such as those you have shown are a joy - in other words they bring us 'Joy of Living'
ReplyDeleteHere in Berlin I detected a very strange thing in the fine houses in our Bavarian Quarter: you have to mount (and I mean it!) a lordly flight of marble stairs - and only then you reach the floor where you can use the elevator. Fine if you are young - but they are really steep, and looking down from them can make a weak person shudder (will try to take a photo of one of the neigbour houses , in the house we live in we have "only" four broad marble steps to the elevator - but a long way to go before you to reach them...
DeleteI believe every female in the world has had the vision of her sweeping down a grand staircase in a beautiful full gown with a bit of a train and all eyes glued to her entrance. My dress is white and very light blue.
ReplyDeleteI "see" you in that, Emma: it must be lovely! White is so stunning, and very light blue so becoming. They knew how to make glamourous dresses in Hollywood films, I am always admiring those.
DeleteIn a perfect world, there would be a landing every 10 steps up, with sofas, refreshments, sympathetic company, massage therapists and no hurry, no hurry at all.
ReplyDeleteWhen we lived in Hamburg, about 5 years ago, our first flat was on the fifth floor - and no elevator. When my father came to visit us, I put a chair on the 2nd and 4th landing. He looked at me with scorn and walked up, all the steps without a pause!
DeleteBut I agree: your concept is very tempting - especially when one had to walk the 4th time up.
Beautiful staircase, perfect for shooting wedding photographs! Greetings Maria x
ReplyDeleteI bet they didn't think of that till now, Maria! And a museum always needs money... Greetings Britta x
DeleteTalk of"perfect stairs" can't help but remind me of David Niven and the Powell-Pressburger film, A Matter of Life and Death, with its staircase to heaven...
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/BXAEqBywUt8