Arup's Perforated Copper Staircase
Studio Mishin approached Arup's Materials Consulting and Lighting Design teams for help in engineering a perforated copper stair in the center of the Villa Mallorca in Spain. The pleated planes of the three-story-high staircase are made from 200 square meters (2,150 square feet) of copper bonded to laminated wood, with 12,000 perforations made by a CNC water jet cutter. Most amazing is the fact the folded copper and wood work together so no fasteners are visible.
According to Jan Wurm, Arup's Materials Practice Leader for Europe: "The detailed design of the complex structure is based on a limited set of panel types and interface geometries to allow for a consistent appearance and an efficient procurement. The installation is sequenced in such a way that the structural panels interlock with each other and a delicate substructure to minimize visible connections."
The lighting accentuates the unique characteristics of the stair. The interaction of the copper and the wood – sometimes both are perforated, sometimes the latter is solid – that created opportunities for lighting. Side-emitting fiber-optic lights are used when narrow gaps occur between the materials. As well, a band of light follows the treads and risers, articulating the corner where they meet the guardrails (photo below). Inserted into a hall of monochrome stone blocks broken up by strips of light, the stair is a strong design statement that celebrates movement through the villa.
