Imperial staircase

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An imperial staircase. Photographed from the half-landing where the first flight divides into two further flights

The double staircase rising to the entrance of Kedleston Hall

An Imperial staircase (sometimes known as a double staircase) is the name given to a staircase with divided flights. Usually the first flight rises to a half-landing and then divides into two symmetrical flights both rising with an equal number of steps and turns to the next floor. The feature is reputed to have first been used at El Escorial ^[1] Internally notable examples can be found in the Winter Palace on St Petersburg, Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Palazzo Reale di Caserta and Mentmore Towers.

Externally, often referred to as a double staircase, the feature is a common motif seen rising to the entrances of houses in the Palladian style. Double staircases as opposed to Imperial staircases are more often of just two flights (hence the name) leaving the ground symmetrically to join one common destination (see illustration left), occasionally, especially in the architecture of the Sicilian Baroque they will leave the ground as one flight and then divide but this is less common. On occasions one sees an Imperial staircase in the form of two flights rising to join and then continue as one flight but this is very rare.

Confusingly while an "imperial staircase" can be called a double staircase, a "double staircase" cannot be called an imperial staircase.

[edit] External links

[1] Photograph of the imperial staircase at the Palazzo Reale di Caserta retrieved 18 November 2006
[2] Photograph of the imperial staircase at the Russian Museum retrieved 18 November 2006
[3] Photograph of the imperial staircase at the Winter Palace retrieved 18 November 2006
[4] Photograph of the imperial staircase at the Wurzburg Residenz retrieved 18 November 2006
[5] Photograph of L'escalier des ambassadeurs at the Versailles retrieved 18 November 2006
[6] Photograph of a double staircase retrieved 18 November 2006