The most beautiful stairwell of all

Boring, but...
London, ON
March 2024
This photo originally shared on Instagram

Whenever I find myself in a multi-floor building, the first thing I do is look for the stairwells.

They aren’t exactly the prettiest places to visit. Developers don’t devote decorating resources to these rarely used concrete-and-steel necessities. Fire code says they need to be safe, not pretty.

Yet pretty isn’t necessarily a collection of lovely art on the walls and soft lighting overhead. Pretty can also be the ability to get to safety. Or a daily floor-challenge climb to maintain heart health. Or a quiet place to go when life feels overwhelming.

I’ve been looking for stairwells for as long as I can remember, often skipping the elevator entirely so I can make my own way up the dimly lit stairs, instead. These overlooked spaces have their own beauty, I suppose, their own structure and story.

Pretty, then, by another definition.

Perhaps we’re not just talking about stairs.

#ldnont #london #ontario #canada #building #architecture #architecturephotography #buildingporn #architectureporn #geometry #stairs #geometry #monochrome #photography #apple #iphone #shotoniphone #photooftheday #instagood #nofilter #nofilterneeded

Related:

Concrete stairs after the storm, August 2022

Steps to another world, May 2022

Climbing a long staircase, April 2022

Watch your step, January 2022

So I climbed the stairs, anyway, October 2021

Red stairs to somewhere, July 2019

Please tread carefully, February 2018

Sitting in the subway late at night, May 2017

Tread carefully, August 2010