1) - Armani Fifth Avenue - Massimiliano Fuksas
On this avenue, that combines historical significance with an ultra modern, vibrant and pulsating buzz, at the intersection with 56th Street, Armani/5th Avenue is revealed as a neatly defined and light building completely clad in glass - 164 feet long and 45 feet high (50 meters long and 14 meters high). Spread over 4 floors, one of which is the basement, the store covers a total area of 43,000 square feet (4,000 square meters); the retail area covers approximately 30,000 square feet (2800 square meters) of which 5200 (480 square meters) is occupied by the Bar and Restaurant.
Giorgio Armani has selected the architects Doriana and Massimiliano Fuksas and has actively collaborated with them throughout this building, conceived as a single, fluid space providing uninterrupted intercommunication, brought together by the impact of the vortex of the staircase.
The heart of the building is, in fact, epitomized by the staircase, a structure in rolled calender steel, made in Italy, and clad in plastic material that highlights its exceptional sculptural presence, an entity that is almost impossible to convey in terms of any normal geometric shape.
2) - Helical staircase inside London's City Hall.
Completed in July 2002 and situated on the south bank of the Thames River near the Tower Bridge, City Hall was designed by the firm of the well-known British architect Norman Foster, who also designed the Gherkin and the Millennium Bridge in London. He was also responsible for the renovation of Berlin's famed Reichstag.
The subject of some controversy among those who dislike modern architecture, the bulbous-shaped building has been compared to a misshapen egg, a motorcycle helmet, and an onion. Designers say they chose this particular shape for the glass and steel structure because it reduces surface area and makes the building more energy efficient.
The building is part of a complex known as More London, which includes shops, offices, and a sunken amphitheatre (The Scoop) that is the site of many summer open-air concerts and other arts performances.
3) - Loretto Chapel Staircase (USA)
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When the Loretto Chapel was completed in 1878, there was no way to access the choir loft twenty-two feet above. Carpenters were called in to address the problem, but they all concluded access to the loft would have to be via ladder as a staircase would interfere with the interior space of the small Chapel.
Legend says that to find a solution to the seating problem, the Sisters of the Chapel made a novena to St. Joseph, the patron saint of carpenters. On the ninth and final day of prayer, a man appeared at the Chapel with a donkey and a toolbox looking for work. Months later, the elegant circular staircase was completed, and the carpenter disappeared without pay or thanks. After searching for the man (an ad even ran in the local newspaper) and finding no trace of him, some concluded that he was St. Joseph himself, having come in answer to the sisters' prayers.
The stairway's carpenter, whoever he was, built a magnificent structure. The design was innovative for the time and some of the design considerations still perplex experts today.
The staircase has two 360 degree turns and no visible means of support. Also, it is said that the staircase was built without nails—only wooden pegs. Questions also surround the number of stair risers relative to the height of the choir loft and about the types of wood and other materials used in the stairway's construction.
Over the years many have flocked to the Loretto Chapel to see the Miraculous Staircase. The staircase has been the subject of many articles, TV specials, and movies including "Unsolved Mysteries" and the television movie titled "The Staircase.".
4) - NYC
