Skip to main content

International Architecture Schools Competition

2nd edition

Stairs Design Awards EN » Stairs Design Awards 2020 EN

Stairs Design Award 2020, the second edition of the international competition for architecture students

2020 edition : The numbers

150
Teams
24
Schools
5
Countries

The ceremony

Due to COVID-19, the ceremony was held remotely via a live stream on September 3, 2020. The finalists presented their projects through video, allowing the competition to successfully take place.

The Prestigious Jury

Laurent Thevenet

Jury president

Président du comité particulier NF Escalier

Patrick Montagné

Jury member

Directeur activité béton
Mapei

Céline Martin

Jury member

Architecte
Yellow Architecture

Pierre-Etienne Miny

Jury member

Syndicat architecture
Architecte
Enseignant

Antoine Renaud

Jury member

Architecte
Directeur d’étude ENSAV

Benjamin Drossart

Jury member

Architecte
Enseignant DND

Sally Stone

Jury member

Enseignante d’architecture

François Texier

Jury member

Architecte ERP
Enseignant

The winners

Scott Benetto, 1st prize winner

1st prize : Ascension Vertebrale

Scott Benetto
Ensa Grenoble
Niveau d’étude : BAC +6

Inspired by biomechanics, the project is based on the structural principle of a spine. Along a helical concrete beam, « vertebrae » (the term chosen to designate the steps) rest against one another to form a complete staircase system. Each step consists of a module that can be replicated indefinitely. Made of UHPFRC (Ultra-High-Performance Fiber-Reinforced Concrete), it is carefully designed to optimize the amount of material used from a sustainability perspective. The core of the modules is hollowed out to reduce mass, creating a graphic, almost weightless aesthetic.

Cloé Letellier, Elio Salomon et Killian Rivault, 2nd prize winners

2nd prize : Binaire

Cloé Letellier, Elio Salomon et Killian Rivault
ESAIL Lyon
Niveau d’étude : BAC +2

Safaa Korrich et Christophe Desmazure, 3rd prize winner

3rd prize : Peel Concrete

Safaa Korrich et Christophe Desmazure
MJM Graphic Design
Niveau d’études : BAC +4

Born from a very simple idea—that of a concrete wall being peeled away layer by layer— »Peel Concrete » is a staircase that is both graphic and minimalist.

Although made entirely of concrete, we sought to bring a sense of flexibility and lightness to a material that is traditionally rigid and massive.

A system of factory-prefabricated modules simplifies installation through an interlocking mechanism. The suspended wire-rope railing reinforces this concept of lightness while increasing the structure’s physical strength.

Shanice Aka-Adjo et Olga Golliet, PBM prize winner

PBM prize : Moment présent

Shanice Aka-Adjo et Olga Golliet
Haute École du Paysage, d’Ingénierie et d’Architecture HEPIA
Niveau d’étude : BAC +3

Getting back to basics, living in the moment. How can we use a staircase to disconnect, if only for a few seconds?

Through this project, we advocate for a return to the very essence of the object, pushing the reflection on « what we have right now » to its absolute limit. A staircase, no matter how innovative, must not fail its primary function: moving from one level to another.

We therefore based our concept on its core definition—creating a simple element that retains its original purpose while blending design and science. By pushing the material to its absolute limits, the form naturally reveals itself.

We view the staircase as something that belongs entirely to its context and the space it occupies; it is this synergy that creates a whole. This is why we chose to design a semi-recessed staircase, allowing it to adapt into various forms.

Mélis Cetin, winner of the public choice award.

The finalist projects