Vertebrae

This image of the Miles Stairs inside Somerset House was captured through a mixture of happy coincidences. I had been returning to the Nelson Staircase on a regular basis for several months, trying to capture the angle and light to match an image in my head. A member of staff happened to strike up a conversation about the building's beautiful architecture on one of these occasions, and then kindly volunteered to walk me through several parts of the building's West Wing which are usually only accessible to staff.

 

I was vaguely aware of this new staircase designed by Eva Jiricna, which was recently completed and can be viewed as part of a guided tour. The staircase took two years to complete and is made from fibre-reinforced concrete, with a cylindrical filigree mesh running through the centre of its four storeys and sculpted treads that have been described as something resembling an amphibian spinal cord.

 

Besides being a remarkable feat of engineering and design, the staircase was a joy to photograph and edit. I captured several exposures, but placed the emphasis on the brighter exposures while editing to try to convey the airy atmosphere from the light streaming through the windows, with only some minor dodging and burning after that to bring out the texture and shadows within the steps.

 

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