don’t get me wrong: if the staircase gets me from one level to another, it’s succeeded as a design. i just wish they were a bit more exciting.

here are a few examples that might actually keep me amused for a few minutes before i realise i’m wheezing.

1. storage staircase

designer: unicraft joinery

i can’t believe this type of staircase isn’t already widely used in homes - for people with very little storage space this could be extremely valuable. simply use each step as a drawer and no-one will even notice.

2. musical stairs

information about the musical staircase in the sony building in ginza, tokyo seems to be sparse. check out the video below for a demo. to actually make a tune on these steps would involve jumping up and down like a mental case trying to hit the correct note, possibly breaking bones on the way. it’s like a hardcore version of the king-size piano in ‘big’.

3. crooked stairs

designers: gabriella gustafson and mattias ståhlbom

these abstract stairs look brilliant but i can’t help thinking that the chances of falling down them would be significantly higher than normal. if i woke up crusty-eyed in the morning with these in my house i’m pretty sure i’d attempt to walk down the middle and quickly become unconcious again.

4. slide staircase

designer: rodney miller @ wood innovations

multi-millionnaire scott jones decided to splash his cash on a spiral staircase-slide and instantly made a lot of people jealous. local craftsman rodney miller was called upon to create this 17 ft mahogany toy, a job which took a whopping 15 months to finish. the slide also includes fibre-optic lights which can change to 8 different colours.

5. internal log staircase

designer: dave stewart

thought to be the world’s only internal log staircase, this beauty has been carved from one giant 140 ton kauri log. the beast took a total of 500 man hours to carve and finish and can be found at ‘ancient kauri kingdom’ in new zealand.

6. retractable staircase

designer: aaron tang

industrial designer aaron tang created these futuristic retractable stairs using ’simple hinges and pistons’. they could be used where living space is limited or where access to a certain level of a building needs to be restricted.

7. steel ribbon stairs

designer: thomas heatherwick

london-based designer thomas heatherwick created this amazing 55 ton steel staircase for the opening of the new longchamps store in new york last year and has since recieved praise from all angles. the construction of the staircase was apparently a logistical nightmare, each of the 17 seperate units having to be installed precisely, stretching up to the ceiling.

8. suspended stairs

designers: jürg conzett and rolf bachofner

it’s not often you see a stairway used to bridge a gorge. swiss designers jurg conzett and rolf bachofner decided this would be the best way to cross the traversinertobel in switzerland as the only safe opposing points were at different elevations, meaning a traditional bridge could cause a few problems. the incredible staircase-bridge measures 56 metres in length.

9. ‘impossible’ spiral staircase

designer: unknown

there are many mysteries surrounding the construction of the spiral staircase at loretto chapel and many believe the appearance of it to be a miracle. design-wise, the staircase is extremely impressive - there is no visible central beam to hold the staircase up and no nails have been used during its creation. however the central spiral is so narrow that it does indeed act as a support beam for the staircase.

sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7

the top-notch photo above was taken by robert b haas and shows a shrimp farm in ecuador covered in coloured flags - apparently one of the more effective methods available to ward off birds. click on the little bugger for a larger version. i also demand that you check out his other photos on the national geographic site here.

when you’re done, use your eyes to look at these ‘creative’ scarecrows…

above: a retired astronaut stands firm in aberdeenshire, scotland.

above: any clever bird would realise that the bastard’s legs are tied together. he’s not running anywhere.

above: it’s good to see disabled scarecrows in work.

above: the least threatening scarecrow on earth in japan.

above: a scarycrow in hull.

above: is scarecrowporn.com taken?

above: an extremely non-scary robot scarecrow in the peak district.

above: creepy isn’t the word. the ronald macdonald midget outfit seals it.

above: a britney spears lookalike in north yorkshire.

above: a scarecrow in kentucky. if you didn’t fill your pants after looking at this you’re doing well.

above: bodyless scarecrows guard a field in japan.

finally, a great animation called ‘the end’…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhcWg4NiqN8]

they can usually be found in waterparks around the world, surrounded by young kids attempting to destroy the hidden pole that holds it up.

well late japanese-american architect isamu noguchi took this family favourite one step further and created an incredible looking set of fountains for the world expo in osaka, japan.

the effect is stunning and surreal, the boxes seemingly held in the air by the force of the water.

these were the only photos i could locate on the intertubes. if you know of any others please let me know.

sources: 1, 2