The Staircase: History and Theories

by John Templer

John Templer has written the first theoretical, historical, and scientific analysis of one of the most basic and universal building the stair. The first volume treats the fascinating history of stairs and their immense influence on the art and science of architecture. The second volume shows the dangers stairs present. Drawing on twenty years of human factors research on stairs, Templer sets out what is known about slips, trips, and falls. Perhaps most importantly, he proposes the idea of the soft stair, which could substantially reduce the annual epidemic of stair-related deaths and injuries.

Paperback

First published April 22, 1992

Reviews

[Alexander Van Leadam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first volume of Templer's account of stairs and ramps deals with their history. The book is above all enlightening. It places the different stair types and their evolution in the context of wider architectural pursuits and shows them to be intertwined with even the loftier of them. By virtue of their monopoly of vertical locomotion until the twentieth century, stairs (and ramps) were related to everything else in a building. Templer explains how architects were simultaneously concerned with locomotion, construction, perception and use of stairs to produce designs that were more constrained by the architectural theory of their time than just utilitarian or aesthetic principles.
This is a book every architect should read but surprisingly it's out of print. Perhaps that's the reason why it is not as widely known as it deserves - amazingly there's no mention of it in the Wikipedia lemma on stairs. Time for an ebook version?

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

All about ups and downs.