8th & Fig Staircase

Behind the Scenes

Let’s continue diving deeper into the captivating journey of one of our biggest projects - the 8th & Figueroa Staircase at Downtown LA's Figueroa Eight Apartment!

TeamWork

We started our journey with careful planning and teamwork, starting with an immersive mock-up session in our studio. Builders, owners, and the world renown designers at Rottet Studio who came up with this wonderful stair design, all visited Romano's studio for a hands on design sessions reviewing the mock-up.

The process of creating the 8th and Figueroa staircase has been a true team effort. Mario and Didi, along with our entire team, have spent the past two years carefully overseeing every step of the project.

Even FMA's Stuart, a trained architect, contributed his expertise, as he started drawing details on the board for the substructure.

Non Repetitive Texture

As you walk down the staircase, you'll notice how the texture flows smoothly without repeating. Each piece has its own unique character, but together, they create a cohesive and uninterrupted design.

The non-repetitive 3d carved texture enhanced the sculptural experience of the stair.

Gaps make it buildable

This tiny space between the stair tread and the wall ribs, is a technique Mario calls "kissing".

It enables two different elements to come together without merging into one. Separated and united, these different parts kiss, a term Andy Warhol originally coined when composing art.

The curving details

The precise curves, including those of the initial stair tread, were carefully crafted on-site. We utilized specialized heating blankets, reaching temperatures of up to 350 degrees, to carefully heat the Corian material directly at the project site.

Notice how we had to, one by one, lift up the legs of the scaffolding to build and install the stair.

The scaffolding was a major obstacle.

And we bent the stair treads by hand in the field using a heating blanket.

Corian Plugs and Adhesive

We screwed our fins into a metal substructure and plugged the holes with matching corian plugs and adhesive.

Street View

When we worked on the design, we didn't just concentrate on the front; we also paid close attention to crafting and finishing the back to ensure a seamless view from the street.

Layout

As the building stretches 530 feet into the sky, our staircase modestly climbs just one floor, emphasizing beauty over mere convenience. Descending the steps, you'll notice the consistent yet unique texture, mirroring nature's interconnected design principles.

Romano Studio collaborated with interior Designer Rottet studio, who created the original stair design, After review of the feasibility, and constructability, Romano Studio proposed a "remixed" of their design keeping their intent but overlaying an array of non-repetitive carved lines spanning over 1200 sf. The results enhanced the sculptural effect of the grand stairway while enabling it to be more constructable.

This project demonstrates our dedication to innovative design and emphasizes how creativity and innovation can shape architecture. As we look back on this significant project, we're excited to share more of our journey and inspire others through our work.