Hideaway Wall Stairs

Industrial designer Aaron Tang has designed a set of stairs that hide away when not required.

Using simple mechanical hinges and pistons, this inventive staircase easily folds flush up against a wall to expand a lower space and/or to restrict access to an upper floor. The mechanics within the design allow any person to easily open or close the staircase from upstairs or downstairs. Inner pistons help slide the stairs back up swiftly to create a flush wall. The pistons also act as a gradient to lower each step individually after the stairs have been pulled out, creating a gradual, elegant wave-like pattern as the steps individually lock into place.

This project originated from a door project in which I was asked to define what a door was and could be. I defined a door as "an element of a wall that allowed passageway to another environment when opened and restricted passageway when closed."