The Church of Knightbridge

Hello, as you know by magazines, newspapers and related media my name is Rodolfo, but I'm not Rudolph Valentino, and Rudolf Nureyev, and, of course, Juan Rodolfo Wilcock, nothing to do with artists and people with similar interests. My name has been both fashionable and I am too lazy to write to the point that I will make the time go faster.

I have decided to build a nice house in a village in an island whose name is yet to be decided, for this I have commanded the enormous task of visiting all the buildings that may be of interest to carefully choosen materials and construction systems that obligatorily will have to be designed by my Planner. That means, no more than fifty visits.

First stop: Church of Knightsbridge.

And speaking of 50 ... I reported that in the neighborhood of Knightsbridge (I think it is in London) was for sale a house at that price, but in pounds and millions, change about 63 millions of euros or about 81 millions of dollars: Use the calculator. Of course I did not say it was a Church!! How awful to live there, between angels and demons, finally, for all tastes and for all words ... (Proverb from my village, prohibited offense).

Alan Boublil bought it but got tired of it and sold it to a family who invited me to see, I found it was not too bad with four floors, swimming pool, jacuzzi room with roof sheets gold, a mini-spa with sauna and steam room, treatment room, gym and a cinema so cute. It has a living room with vaulted ceiling (by the Church, of course), four bedrooms and three suites and a spa would not let me test word. It is a bit funny get up on a Sunday and look for their mullioned windows (or Ajimeces) but the impression changes immediately if you take the translucent elevator. Yes, what I take for my future project is the staircase, the staircase misnamed Spiral Staircase ...

Cream Marble Staircase with curved sections

Everybody call it "spiral staircase" but it is wrong, because for a spiral staircase at least it had to make a complete turn to its axis and return to the starting point but at a higher level (obvious). Is a stair curve or semi-curved if you prefer call it that way, with a clearly defined axis: the elevator.

The steps are of solid ivory marble, perfectly squared and polished on all sides viewed, fix that each step could weigh up to 80 kilograms and that's always a advantage because ... nobody could move them if they are well put!!

Each of the steps are supported by a metal base that sustained on two shanks of the same material; Following the elevator in its outline, holding the glass balustrade.

The detail and Anchoring

For me, the detail is in the LED lights (Light-Emitting Diode or Light Emitting Diodes) which appear at the bottom of the steps and, with much ingenuity, someone decided to raise the platform that underpins almost one centimeter so that, hidden just below her, triumphantly shine small diodes. A great idea, is especially during the night.

In this staircase there are two key points to be studied with interest, and these are the two anchors: the upper and the lower.

For the bottom, in the basement of the building, it is clear that a small concrete foundation to anchor the base of each side of the stair shanks. The best in these cases is to solder a platform at the base and screw the irons reinforced to the concrete block. Why screw? Why not solded? Well, you never know when you may want to change the stairs ... and that would allow us to make the concrete footing first and bring the structure of the stair after.

At the upper end, or at either end to tie the staircase up to the ceiling, act vertically: the base with anchor bolts subjected to the staircase. The bolts should be of sufficient length to counteract the moments or forces tending to rotate the anchored.

Well, mission accomplished, and I have a staircase for my future construction. Bye Bye.