Design typology Jacob’s ladder and Sculpture
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Continuity and orientation towards the light are the outstanding features of Jacob’s ladders in a contemporary context, too. In the residential building by Hiroyuki Arima (fig. 12), a continuous stair runs through the entire building. Alongside the living, dining and sleeping area, it refers to the outside – and even to the sky – on account of its large openings. The stair itself is a white, monolithic body which terminates exactly at the ceiling level, followed by a few glass steps, which provide access to the music pavilion located on the roof of the building. As such, a clear distinction is made between the white space and the glazed sky, i.e. between the earth-linked (living) and the dematerialised (music). In the residential building in Estrela by Aires Mateus, the stair spans the space in a linear fashion, thus referring to the two longitudinal facades in order to draw on the light there. In doing so, the space to be accessed takes a back seat, the moment of suspense lies in the movement from bottom to top. The light of the opposite facade openings directs users aloft (fig. 13). In the building in Fontinha, also by Mateus, light is also the elementary design medium. The stair is flooded with light in such a manner that it has the effect of being a logical consequence of the spatial thoroughfare. The stair and its associated space seem as if they have been extracted from the overall volume, creating an exceedingly suspenseful spatial impression (fig. 14). The stair as Jacob’s ladder illustrates the relationship of the stair to space particularly well: the play between the stair as positive (being an additive) spatial element, and the hence negative stairwell, can inspire in design. Similar to the designs by Aires Mateus, which are
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