paul cocksedge spirals living staircase through ampersand's new london office

paul cocksedge spirals living staircase through ampersand’s new london office
image © mark cocksedge

spiraling up through the atrium of ampersand resolution property’s new office in soho, london is the living staircase by paul cocksedge studio. recently completed, the dynamic stairway towers at 12.5 meters and the unique design has integrated a series of social and relaxation zones. following the curvilinear form, greenery has been planted along the entire balustrade where at the top, fresh mint leaves are grown to allow the brewing of mint tea.

paul cocksedge worked with arup to construct the staircase
image © mark cocksedge

unlike typical staircase designs, the load-bearing pillar at the core has been removed, allowing each level forms a platform with different functions. constructed of steel and american white oak, on the first floor, a light by ingo maurer has been suspended for employees to leave messages meanwhile, the second staircase hosts a small library containing books to stimulate creativity. the sculptural staircase reflects the company’s creative identity and embodies their designer-led ethos hoping to drive an exciting work environment to attract prospective talent.

paul cocksedge comments: ‘if a staircase is essentially about going from a to b, there is now a whole world living and breathing in the space between the two. i hope the living staircase will be used in ways we hadn’t at all expected! this is the beauty of it: it allows so much space for all kinds of activities. i’m really looking forward to ampersand’s staff taking over the structure and making it totally their own.’

Planting along the entire balustrade forms a ‘flying’ garden which can be tended by the building’s office community
image © mark cocksedge

ingo maurer designed light encourages people to leave and write messages
image © mark cocksedge

books available for creative inspiration
image © mark cocksedge

the staircase provides a dynamic connectivity between the building’s four office floors within a curvilinear atrium
image © mark cocksedge

image © mark cocksedge

image © mark cocksedge

mint can be grown to allow the employees to brew their own tea
image © mark cocksedge

the staircase aims to stimulate an exciting work environment to attract young talent
image © mark cocksedge