After the year we’ve just had, we could all do with some spa treatment and if you live in and around Berkshire what better place to book than the luxurious Nirvana Spa. Back in 2018, we worked with the Spa to provide two decorative spiral staircases for guests at their new Colosseum Suite.
We had already worked with the Spa’s Chairman, John Barley, manufacturing a spiral staircase for his property at Port St Charles on the Island of Barbados. John explained:
“I was able to communicate with the British Spirals & Castings remotely and we worked out a complicated detail very easily. The staircase was shipped out to Barbados and everything worked out perfectly. I do have building experience, but everyone said that I was very brave. I was very pleased that the final cost was only half of the price required by a U.S company. I bought British!!!”
Practical and ornamental
John explained he had included a spiral staircase as part of the first part of the Nirvana Spa constructed back in 1988 as a functional and decorative feature for the space. For their most recent development, the Colosseum Suite, the Spa drew on influences from classical culture.
The building features a giant domed roof with over 1,500 LED lights creating the appearance of a starlit night. Beneath sits a Balneotherapy pool with gently moving water providing a relaxing experience for guests. The influences of the ancient world are clear throughout with marble statues, detailed mosaics and giant Doric-style columns which support the roof and large upper balcony.
To provide guests with access from the pool to the mezzanine, the Spa designers included two, large-diameter spiral staircases in alternative rotations, to sit either side of the main entrance to the suite.
Safety and Style
We worked with the Spa to create a design for the grand spiral staircases that match the suite’s decorative interior, as John Barley explained:
“From a design point of view I regard the spiral stairs as artistic sculptures rather than just stairs, complementing both the architectural and artistic values of our building in its special environment.”
The two staircases have a diameter of 2300 mm and rise to over 4 metres in height. As with all our staircase projects, following the initial discussions with the client we developed a CAD design using the project measurements to ensure a precise fit. This included a rest landing three quarters of the way up the flight.
The railings feature a decorative panel and spindle from our Victorian range for each tread, matching the appearance of the existing staircase at the Spa whilst also ensuring it complies with building regulations. The sage green colour was also selected to provide continuity with the colour of the original staircase and fits perfectly within the Romanesque design for the space.
As the staircases provide direct access from the pool, it was important that they provide plenty of traction for guests coming up and down them. To achieve this, the treads were cast in aluminium and created with an open pattern which provides plenty of grip and allows any water to drain away. An internal handrail was also included on the main pillar, providing plenty of support to guests and meeting all of the Health and Safety considerations.
“We have found British Spirals & Castings to be very reliable, efficient and honest.” John added. “Suffice to say we would always go back to them in the future.”
If you need a staircase, balcony or railings for your commercial space then get in touch at sales@britishsc.co.uk or visit our gallery and send a quote request. Our expert team have handled projects of all sizes over the year and will work with you to provide a bespoke solution which precisely meets your needs.
