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Collection by Patrick Sisson
Editor’s Pick

A Mind-Blowing, Mondrian-Esque Staircase

Francesco Librizzi's oak-and-steel staircase is as much a sculpture as it is a means of going between floors.

Cefalu, an ancient city on the northern coast of Sicily, enjoys a certain romance with the ocean, so much so that homes and apartments have been stacked on top of each other over time, since the newest unit always wants the best view of the Tyrrhenian Sea. When architect Francesco Librizzi was hired by a writer for the Italian paper La Repubblica to transform a multi-story fisherman’s house into a beautiful home, he decided to make the journey to the terrace as scenic as the panorama that awaited visitors upstairs. Librizzi explained the creative process behind creating his modernist staircase, a Mondrian-esque reimagining of egress.

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Architect Francesco Librizzi built the staircase for the Casa G project as a means to slow the ascent, to create stations that infused the interior with life.
Architect Francesco Librizzi built the staircase for the Casa G project as a means to slow the ascent, to create stations that infused the interior with life.
The oak-and-steel structure, as much a sculpture as a set of stairs, animates the interior of this slender, multi-story building.
The oak-and-steel structure, as much a sculpture as a set of stairs, animates the interior of this slender, multi-story building.
The owner of the home, a writer for the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, asked Librizzi to create a cultured home, so he felt inspired to create a standout piece.
The owner of the home, a writer for the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, asked Librizzi to create a cultured home, so he felt inspired to create a standout piece.
Librizzi utilized native Sicilian tile for the colorful floor. The hexagonal pieces were arranged in constantly morphing patterns that flow into each other.
Librizzi utilized native Sicilian tile for the colorful floor. The hexagonal pieces were arranged in constantly morphing patterns that flow into each other.
Librizzi spoke of the process behind conceptualizing and building the stairs as a means of turning the interior into a "machine for the panorama."
Librizzi spoke of the process behind conceptualizing and building the stairs as a means of turning the interior into a "machine for the panorama."
The rooftop terrace, covered in a different tile pattern, offers a stunning view of Cefalu and the northern Sicilian coast.
The rooftop terrace, covered in a different tile pattern, offers a stunning view of Cefalu and the northern Sicilian coast.