Designed by architect Rafael Iglesia for the home of the Del Grande family in Rosario, Argentina, this staircase is the result of a system of counteracting forces. The structure's wooden elements are held in place only by the friction and pressure that is produced between the pieces of wood that make up the system.
The missing fixings are replaced by wooden wedges inserted at ceiling level that generate sufficient pressure between all the other pieces; with this method, the steps remain in cantilever without touching the nearby wall. The wood used in the construction is red quebracho, a very hard, heavy wood that is extremely resistant to rot.
The resulting staircase demonstrates the signature ideas of its architect, whose work centers on themes of simplicity of materials. In Iglesia's work, architecture arises through the way that parts are combined and connected together, with parts supporting the whole through the way their forces act together.
Architect: Rafael Iglesia
Co-Design Architect: Mariel Suárez
Collaborator: Gustavo Farías
Location: Constitución 1314, Rosario, Argentina
Client: Del Grande Family
Materials: Red Quebracho Wood
Year of Design: 2002
Year of Construction: 2002
Photography: Gustavo Frittegotto
