A REMARKABLE STAIRCASE

We regularly browse the Internet resources. Of course, we pay special attention to texts and photos in which the stone finds a new expression.

We already know from experience that if something catches our attention, the authors are not average designers or average sculptors. This was also the case this time. We noticed a photo of the amazing stairs. Then a little internet inquiry and we found more information about the implementation and the author.

About the project

The staircase is located in St James’s Theatre in London and connects the ground floor with the upstairs restaurant. The stairs were made in 2012 of Carrara marble – white and with a blue tint. The stone comes from a deposit on the Pietrasanta hill. The total weight of the structure is 25 tons, but 10 blocks with a total weight of more than 200 tons were purchased for its creation.

Elements made of white marble are the load-bearing elements of the stair structure. The darker elements are fixed with metal fasteners and glued. The project was not easy to implement. The company Porcelli Marmi undertook its task. 15 stonemasons of this company worked on the construction of the stairs, and the execution took 4,000 man-hours.

The author of the project was inspired by the curtain revealing the actors after the end of the performance, when they, holding hands, bow to the audience thanking the audience for applause. The project – with the meaningful title “Final Encore” – is a perfect example of a work of art that is also a functional element.

Thanks to this, art reaches a much wider audience. The restaurant is open all day and is sometimes rented for private and corporate events – this guarantees that many people have contact with Mark Humprey’s work, not only during performances. As the author predicted, many people touch smooth marble and take souvenir photos with them.

About the author – Mark Humprey

He is an artist with large and significant achievements. He was born in 1970 in Wiltshire and grew up in Berkshire. From 1988 he studied Fine Arts at Maidenhead Art College, and in 1989 he moved to London, where he studied Interior Design at Middlesex University until 1993.

Thanks to the combination of art and architecture, his designs have gained recognition among many important brands. Suffice it to mention that he cooperated with, among others, Kenzo, Apple Records, Harrods, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Audi, Allianz, Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren, Dior, Nike, Lacoste, Dunhill, Aston Martin, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Premier League Football Association and Rolling Stones. The achievements are complemented by a huge number of exhibitions.

We would like to thank Mark Humrey for sharing photos of his work and invite our readers to visit www.markhumphrey.uk.

Source: Kurier kamieniarski
Author: Kurier Kamieniarski   |   Published: 28.05.2017