A girlfriend asks me to buid for her house a staircase linking the living room with the attic that, placed right on top, she has just bought.
The idea is to design something that, when not in use, may look like a sculpture, a loose piece of furniture or any other thing. A non-identifiable object without use, and hat only acquires sense and is ‘architectural’ when she uses it. And then, it will be a staircase.
It is built with steel sheet pieces placed perpendicular to a blind wall and that, welded to an embedded beam, are clad in wood.
From the living room, watching her go up and down the stairs becomes a voyeuristic act. Because the stairs have no handrail (on purpose), she has to step even more slowly, making the show last longer. Depending on where she steps, the high heels appear or disappear…
When she asks me to go upstairs, I pretend to read… she knows I am pretending to be distracted. Her legs can be seen from the top and, as she descends, they seem longer and longer. I watch her go up and down, again and again, enjoying the landscape of endless legs.
Escalera para una minifaldera, Madrid. Localización: Romanones, 9. 5º. Madrid. Año del proyecto: 2005. Cliente: Ella prefiere no decirlo. Arquitecto: Ángel Verdasco. Contratista: Procover. Fotógrafo: Juan Roldán. Superficie: 2.4 m2. Presupuesto: 1.850 euros.