The Cantilevered Staircase
Image Credits: Douglas Friedman / Adam Rouse
Inside the sculptural steel and oak staircase that rises through the skylit heart of the Sausalito Contemporary.
At the centre of the Sausalito Contemporary, a cantilevered steel and oak staircase rises through a dramatic two-story skylit foyer. This is not merely a means of moving between floors. It is a sculptural centrepiece, a work of engineering and artistry that transforms circulation into ceremony.
The staircase was relocated from its original position as part of the radical reimagining by John Lum Architecture. In its new home at the heart of the house, it serves as the vertical axis around which the entire residence is organised. Floating oak treads appear to defy gravity, each one extending from a central steel spine with no visible support beneath. The effect is one of weightlessness, a quality that echoes the home’s broader architectural language.
Above, a smoked-glass catwalk crosses the void, connecting the main house to the guest quarters. The catwalk is translucent, allowing light to pass through while maintaining a sense of separation. Together, the staircase and catwalk create a dynamic interplay of solid and void, of movement and stillness, of transparency and opacity.
The two-story skylight above floods the space with natural light throughout the day. As the sun moves across the sky, the light shifts and changes, casting dynamic shadows that animate the staircase and the surrounding walls. A slatted wooden sunscreen, its V-shape reading almost like the wings of a bird, filters the light and reduces heat while adding another layer of visual interest.
The staircase is also a gallery. Works by Tomás Saraceno and Jim Lambie animate the surrounding walls, their forms shifting with the remarkable light. The placement of art was integral to the design, ensuring that the simple act of ascending the stairs becomes a journey through architecture and art.
This is what distinguishes the Sausalito Contemporary: the transformation of the everyday into the extraordinary. The staircase is not just a way to get from one floor to another. It is a daily ritual, a moment of beauty, a reminder that thoughtful design can elevate even the most ordinary moments into something approaching the sublime.
