Photography by Prue Ruscoe
From sculptural centrepieces to space-saving solutions, these seven spiral staircases elevate the everyday with confident forms and clever planning.
A spiral staircase is more than just a means to move between floors—it can be a defining architectural gesture. A moment, a sculptural thread that ties the spaces together. Whether anchoring a compact footprint or rising with quiet grandeur through heritage bones, the spiral stair brings both poetry and precision to the home.
In each of these projects, architects and designers use the form to create flow, frame light, and carve out space in unexpected ways.
The Barn by Lot 1
Wodi Wodi Country / Meroo Meadow, New South Wales
Inserted at the heart of The Barn’s compact 83-square-metre footprint is a sculptural spiral staircase that can easily be described as the centrepiece of the design. Positioned beneath a generous void aligned to the original trusses, the staircase draws the eye upwards upon entry, visually expanding the modest interiors while offering access to two mezzanine bedrooms.
Its placement not only maximises space but also reinforces the barn’s verticality, connecting both levels with ease. Framed by dark-stained timber ceilings and rustic finishes, the staircase is both functional and poetic—a pivotal move in Lot 1’s clever reworking of a former stable.
A modern introduction into the renovation of an old barn—the minimalist spiral stair creates a point of focus within the compact interiors | Photography by Prue Ruscoe
Photography by Shannon McGrath
Photography by Shannon McGrath
Monumental and striking, the corkscrew stair is a modern addition that adds depth to the heritage of the apartment | Photography by Shannon McGrath
East Melbourne Residence by Hecker Guthrie
Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung Country / Melbourne, Australia
A corkscrew blackened steel spiral stair is a quiet showstopper in Hecker Guthrie’s East Melbourne Residence. Tucked neatly within a moody, green-toned interior, the stair winds upwards behind finely detailed vertical battens—its sinuous form contrasts with the crisp geometry around it.
Beyond its compact footprint and functional role linking bedroom and study above, the stair reads as an architectural insertion: elegant, deliberate and materially rich. This new addition is carefully balanced against the existing character, while introducing a moment of drama within the otherwise restrained and textural palette.
Communicating the charm of the Mediterranean through its material palette, the central sweeping stair is a connecting device that invites tactility with its lime plaster finish | Photography by Giulio Ghirardi
Photography by Giulio Ghirardi
Villa Les Jours Heureux by Caprini & Pellerin
St. Tropez, France
At Villa Les Jours Heureux, a sculptural spiral staircase anchors the main villa’s ground floor with quiet grandeur. Positioned beside an arched threshold that frames garden views, the stair sets the tone for Caprini & Pellerin’s layered approach—where fluid form meets artisanal detail.
Crafted with a distinct reverence for materiality, the staircase becomes more than a circulation point; it’s a centrepiece that captures the project’s Mediterranean elegance and refined restraint. Here, curves contrast beautifully with the villa’s clean lines, echoing the project’s commitment to timeless craftsmanship and a light, luminous palette.
So quiet and refined it whispers, the sweeping stair at Williamstown House by Adam Kane Architects is a feat of undulating twists and turns | Photography by Timothy Kaye
Photography by Timothy Kaye
Williamstown House by Adam Kane Architects
Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung and Bunurong Country / Melbourne, Australia
Subdued and serene was the brief for Williamstown House by Adam Kane Architects. With this in mind, the interior exudes a gentle calm. Emerging as a defining feature is the sculptural stair. Formed in undulating white plaster, the spiral stair reads as a seamless continuation of the interior’s soft, curving language.
Rather than commanding attention, it integrates effortlessly into the surrounding architecture, acting as a focal point that guides movement and light between levels. Its organic form echoes the home’s overarching ethos: to honour heritage while introducing a contemporary quietude. Like the project itself, the staircase speaks in whispers, not statements – balancing elegance and restraint.
Photography by Lucas Allen
Photography by Lucas Allen
Marking a threshold between past and present is the sculptural stair at the heart of Alto by Jolson. Rising within a double-height void, the stair sits comfortably alongside original heritage windows and exemplifies the project’s core intent: to blend eras through carefully crafted contrasts.
ts fluid, organic form stands in quiet dialogue with the home’s more traditional features, offering a moment of spatial clarity and sculptural expression. More than just a circulation point, the stair is a symbolic pivot—linking the light-filled entry to the private quarters above and anchoring Jolson’s refined interplay of materiality, movement and memory.
Sinuous spiral stairs bring a verticality to the renovation of this heritage home by Jolson | Photography by Lucas Allen
More than functional, the new central stair at Iririki House by Madeleine Blanchfield Architects brings clarity and beauty to the home’s original Federation-era bones | Photography by Anson Smart
Iririki House by Madeleine Blanchfield Architects
Gadigal Country / Sydney, Australia
At Iririki House, a bold new pavilion by Madeleine Blanchfield Architects brings clarity to a richly layered Federation-era home. Grounding the rear addition is a striking spiral staircase, formed in concrete and steel, that serves as the architectural heart of the new intervention.
Positioned within the open-plan living space, the stair’s coiling form contrasts with the rectilinear geometry of the red brick structure, establishing a sense of movement and modernity. More than a functional connector, it’s a refined statement – one that captures the home’s reinvention with elegance, uniting heritage charm with contemporary dynamism.
Northcote House by LLDS
Wurundjeri Woi-Wurrung Country / Melbourne, Australia
At the core of Northcote House, a spiraling central staircase twists upward through a narrow vertical void, turning a spatial constraint into a defining design feature. Wrapped in organic, moulded timber, the stair weaves together the home’s east and west wings while channeling light and air through the compact footprint.
More than a circulation point, it acts as the home’s central spine—connecting levels without the need for corridors and enhancing the sense of spatial flow. As both a structural and aesthetic triumph, this staircase exemplifies LLDS’s meticulous approach: merging advanced construction with a warm, tactile expression of movement and light.
The highly crafted central stair at Northcote House by LLDS does more than connect zones, it creates a warm and embracing moment weaving the house together | Photography by Tom Ross
Photography by Anson Smart
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