dRMM Creates Endless Stair for Tate Modern's Front Lawn
M.C. Escher’s dream jungle gym just landed on the Tate Modern’s front lawn as part of this year’s London Design Festival.
Endless Stair, commissioned by the Festival in partnership with the American Hardwood Export Council and designed by London-based dRMM Architects, is a public art installation in the form of 15 intertwined staircases. The components were produced in Italy by Imola Legno, marking the first use of American Tulipwood as cross-laminated timber, then transported to Switzerland for assembly.
The shortest route to the summit of the 187-step labyrinth (when disassembled, over a quarter mile in length) is 48 steps, where winded climbers are rewarded with a stunning panorama of St. Paul’s Cathedral across the River Thames. The Endless Stair also has the potential to have an infinite lifespan: dRMM designed the 12-ton structure to be reconfigured and reused many times over.
Endless Stair will be on view through October 10, 2013.
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