Rhythm of Stairs

Another take on repeating patterns. This time — in stairs and steps.

Spirals of staircases, amphitheater steps, stairways with stone balustrades, the gentle curves of urban staircases, massive steps leading to Brutalist buildings… All these share one thing: even the most ordinary staircase becomes a pattern when you look at it not as a way to go up or down, but as a form. In this black-and-white photo series, I’m focusing on that very geometry — diverse, yet always rhythmic.

The most striking staircase structure I’ve seen in my travels is the Initiation Well at the Quinta da Regaleira historic estate in Sintra, Portugal. It’s not really a well at all, but an inverted tower once used for ceremonial purposes. And yes — you don’t climb this tower; you descend deep into the ground.

Amphitheater steps in the ancient city of Myra, Türkiye.

Staircase with balustrades by the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Prčanj, Bay of Kotor, Montenegro.

Steps leading to a building in the center of Užice, Serbia.

Stairway to Heaven — a fragment of the Kadinjača Memorial Complex, Serbia.

Street staircase in Istanbul, Türkiye.

Staircase in one of the palaces of Alexander Park, Pushkin, Russia.

And finally — not quite a staircase, but the levels of a large shopping mall. Perm, Russia.

Thank you for stopping by!

Around the World.
2017-2025.
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