Stairs & Staircases

Scala Regia (Royal Staircase)is a famous flight of stairs which is located in the Vatican City. It was built in the 16th Century by Antonio da Sangallo the Younger and is an integral element to the Vatican entrance. Its purpose was to connect the Vatican Palace to St Peter’s Basilica. After many years of use the Scala Regia began to come into disrepair and was then restored to its former glory in 1666.

Purpose

The Scala Regia (Royal Staircase) is a set of stairs that was built in the Portone di Bronzo (the official entrance) that was reserved for the king. Its structure is very majestic in nature to emphasize the importance in the king’s position of power.

Building process and structure

Building the Scala Regia was not an easy task due to the awkwardly, irregular walls. Bernini espied to exalt his entry point into the Vatican and for this reason there were a number of theatrical, elaborate effects used in the construction of the staircase. The staircase was built with a narrowing at the end of the vista. It was created this way to emphasize and exaggerate the distance.

The White House

The White House was built between 1792 – 1800 out of white-painted Aquia sandstone. It is the official residence and workplace of the President of the United States, ever since President John Adams (1797-1801). It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington D.C.

The actual workplace of the executive was moved into the West Wing in 1901 when its construction was completed, as it the White House had become overly crowded. This had been part of a series of construction post the Burning of Washington. In the 1814, the British Army had set fire to the White House, destroying much of the interior. So reconstruction began under President James Monroe and continued to be refurbished under successive presidents. Today it consists of 6 stories and a two-story basement.

The White House Grand Staircase

The Grand Staircase of the White House connects the Entrance Hall with the Second Floor. The Second Floor is the official home of the American President. The Grand Staircase is used for the Presidential Entrance March ceremony. It was originally designed by James Hoban who envisioned two main staircases descending onto the State Floor at the Entrance Hall. He envisioned the Imperial stair form with a single centrain stair rising from the east to a landing on the west wall, with double runs returning back to the east on each side.

In 1803 Latrobe altered this, under Jefferson’s reconstruction, placing a double run on either side rising from the west to a landing on the east and a single run returning west to the second floor. During Roosevelt’s presidency the original ceremonial staircase at the west end was removed (1902). The present staircase is the fourth staircase located in the same space, and was built in 1952 during the Truman White House reconstruction.

The staircase’s interior walls have the seals of the original 13 states, while a bas-relief of the American eagle adorns it from above. The staircase has always been carpeted in some shade of red, though the degree of colour has changed over time.