Cells KLM Topside, Amsterdam [NL]

EeStairs + COARE Realisatie

This four-stage staircase at KLM’s office at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport introduces an unusual organic design to a setting that is otherwise all about minimalist structures and high tech travel. The stairs, designed by Coare Realisatie and made and installed by EeStairs, feature EeStairs Cells® balustrades, whose open geometric networks can also be seen on the balcony balustrade outside the building.

This is the tallest set of Cells® stairs made by EeStairs, and the fact that the balustrades are largely transparent is a great benefit at an airport. So too is the way each flight of stairs is divided to create a ‘lane’ of steps for people to sit on cushions to watch aircraft.

The smoothly crafted handrails, and the treads of the white-painted steel stairs, are made with sustainable FSC-certified wood. Another key factor for KLM was safety, which is why the lower layer of geometric cells in the balustrades are smaller than those nearer the handrails.