This lovely staircase is in The Courtauld Institute Gallery – The West section of The Strand Block in Somerset House. The block was originally built in 1776-80 by William Chambers to house the Royal Academy, the Royal Society and the Society of Antiquaries.
The staircase hall leads directly into the galleries at each level, which means that visitors can really flow through the building.
The staircase has obviously been well used and is heavily patched and repaired in places.
I find it fascinating to see how the junction between the flights and landings has been dealt with slightly differently at each level.
It is such a shame that the half landings seem to have been fattened up to accommodate some recessed downlighters. I think that it really spoils the lines of this otherwise elegant staircase.
Adjacent to the main staircase is a side stair (visable through the window) which leads down to the lowest level.
This amusing print titled “Stare Case” by Rowlandson (copyright British Museum) depicts the chaos and crowds at the summer exhibition held by the Royal Academy in 1811. Click on the image to see a larger version.
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