Showcasing striking designs from a reflective spiral staircase in a museum to an enclosed stairwell that breaks through a home’s roof, our Review of 2025 continues with a selection of 10 of the year’s most remarkable staircases.
Shanghai Grand Opera House, China, by Snøhetta
Earlier this year, architecture studio Snøhetta unveiled images of a dramatic spiral staircase roof being constructed atop the Shanghai Grand Opera House as the project approached completion.
Set to open to the public next year, the opera house features an accessible rooftop that sweeps down to the ground. The spiraling concrete steps merge seamlessly with the roof, culminating in an elevated viewing platform at its peak.
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House of Seven Floors, Czech Republic, by Malý Chmel
Local architecture studio Malý Chmel conceived the House of Seven Floors in the Czech Republic as a “vertical cave,” designing a compact dwelling with interconnected split levels.
A triangular, steel staircase winds its way through the various levels, supported by the home’s concrete structure and serving as a dynamic centerpiece throughout the interior.
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Fenix Museum of Migration, the Netherlands, by MAD
At Rotterdam’s Fenix Museum of Migration, Chinese studio MAD transformed a warehouse with a pair of monumental helical staircases, known as the Tornado, rising from the ground floor and piercing through the roof.
Clad in polished steel and featuring treads in modified wood, the intertwining staircases form an outdoor viewing platform that offers panoramic perspectives above the museum.
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Wooden Annexe, Mexico, by Pedro & Juana
In Valle de Bravo, Mexican firm Pedro & Juana created a pine staircase to connect an existing residence to a new extension positioned higher on a sloping site.
The enclosed staircase breaks through the terracotta-tiled roof, traversing an outdoor courtyard and adding a distinct stepped profile to the home’s silhouette.
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La Maison Unique, USA, by Heatherwick Studio
Heatherwick Studio, which originally designed the La Maison Unique store in Manhattan in 2006, revisited the project this year to update it for French luxury brand Longchamp.
As part of the renovation, the studio applied Longchamp’s distinctive Energy Green to the sculptural stairway, whose form is composed of flowing, hot-rolled steel ribbons.
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Waverly House, Australia, by Sam Crawford Architects
In Sydney’s Waverly House, renovated by Sam Crawford Architects, the reorganization of interior spaces centers around a bespoke timber staircase crafted from spotted gum.
The staircase incorporates split levels, and beneath a mesh hammock, an integrated reading nook creates a cozy retreat, adding both function and character to the home.
Find out more about Waverly House ›
France Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan,
