Just like Gaudí’s 1906 masterpiece Casa Batlló is a tribute to the light of the Mediterranean and inspired by Gaudí’s famous chain models, Kengo Kuma created a staircase using 164,000 meters of chain.
As a part of the new 2000 square meters Casa Batlló Experience, Kuma was asked to design the staircase. The architect dresses the stairs in aluminium curtains which catch the light as if they were fishing nets. According to the architect they play with light through brightness, silhouettes and shadows.
Lighter shades of Kriskadecor aluminium chains are used at the top at roof level and level by level they darken to the coal bunker bottom level reaching black hues. The gradations refer to the use of color in the courtyard.
The continuous metal surface made of independent linear elements was a key part for Kuma to create a coherent experience through the staircase.
The use of a virtual model of the complex space, where every corner is different, was of great importance to realize the design to the exact millimeter.
