Australian War Memorial
Spiral Staircases

Brief

The Australian War Memorial engaged Details by Ned to realise a highly resolved spiral stair concept from a set of 3D renders and outline drawings with minimal construction detail. The brief required a buildable solution that preserved the sculptural intent, met stringent building regulations and would stand up to heavy public use.

Approach

We undertook extensive research, modelling and prototyping to test different build-ups and junctions, eventually producing a full size sample section of balustrade and handrail that was signed off by the client team. The stair comprises multiple technical zones, each with its own challenges. The curved sheeting had to track a stair that does not run at a single radius, which meant individual sheets needed to cover multiple radii while the handrail followed varying rakes to align precisely with the stair rise.

Solution

To achieve fully grain matched handrails, all spotted gum arrived as rough sawn 50 x 150 mm stock. Every length was labelled, re-sawn into 50 x 4 mm laminations, then reassembled in its original order and orientation on the curve and rake of the stair. This ensures that colour shifts, gum veins and grain movement flow continuously through all ten layers of the laminated handrail.

Across the entire project there are no visible fixings. Through concealed fixing methods and careful detailing, we avoided plugs, caps or stickers, so the stair reads as a continuous timber and veneer surface, uninterrupted by hardware.

Awards

Australian Timber Design Awards – Furniture & Joinery