How a Staircase Can Help Activate an Atrium

In every historical period and architectural style, staircases have been the aesthetic and social heart of a building interior. From the medieval priest relaying a heavenly message from atop a spiraling pulpit to Miamians descending Morris Lapidus’s “staircase to nowhere” to command the attention of partygoers, steps have made the scene.

In the 21st century, the staircase is not a perch for a privileged few or a spotlight for one activity, but a kind of elevated public square that welcomes physical use, conversation, and more. The EeSoffit-finished stair located in the atrium of Vreugdenhil Dairy Foods’ new head office in Nijkerk, Netherlands, exemplifies this concept of interactive circulation space.

Maas Architecten designed the 30,700-square-foot headquarters, whose interior the company had hoped would facilitate camaraderie and knowledge sharing among employees. To activate the atrium to this end, the architects wended the bright white stair from a reception space to the floor above in a broad sweep; the centerpiece then ascends the remaining three floors in a corkscrew that spirals around a decorative tree. The stair was so large that it had to be hoisted into the building in parts.

The lower portion of the staircase invites use through walkability. Its wood treads alternate with a landing every two steps to accommodate people of multiple abilities, as well as casual socializing and heads-down movement alike. Meanwhile, the upper portion of the staircase magnetizes users by shear spectacle. Its remarkable size and bold geometry demand a closer look. And pleasure in the spiral’s details, such as the crisply edged underside that contrasts the rounded balcony rails overlooking the atrium, warrant repeated use.

The Vreugdenhil staircase accomplished these visual feats by sourcing as well as design. The knife-like underside, in particular, is finished in EeSoffit, an intriguing alternative to stucco plasterwork produced by a Dutch company known for innovative staircase craftsmanship, EeStairs. Indeed, whereas stucco would have to be applied to a shape like this staircase slowly and deliberately, and even then risk an imperfect profile, EeSoffit adheres to the contour more precisely and quickly.

EeSoffit was also selected to handle the extra attention of Vreugdenhil employees and visitors. The surface creates a hard, durable top layer that can be easily cleaned, and that resists deterioration and cracking. Finishing the application with EeStairs’ special high-gloss paint produces further durability and scratch resistance, plus a reflectivity that traditional methods cannot replicate.

Although the centrality of staircases is undeniable, their symbolism has changed between eras, locations, and building types. The Vreugdenhil Dairy Foods staircase offers a contemporary definition of the staircase. Thanks to the support of an enlightened client and an innovative product, the staircase conveys that new ideal in an equally progressive form.