Glass spiral staircase and glass bridge, developed for a new Apple store, and designed to meet the strict codes for structures not seen in Paris before.
The Apple store in the Carrousel du Louvre mall is adjacent to the iconic glass inverted pyramid under Paris’ world-renowned museum the Louvre. The store features a spiral glass staircase and glass bridge which Eckersley O’Callaghan were responsible for engineering.
The staircase follows the classic spiral concept found in many of Apple’s retail outlets, enabled by the most innovative fabrication and engineering techniques at the time. The curved glass balustrades are the primary structural elements which are joined using stainless steel and titanium fittings. Glass treads span between the balustrades. The structure is supported by cables fixed to a steel structure attached to the slab above.
A key challenge of the project was obtaining the ATEx for a structural glass stair of a nature not constructed in Paris before. We initiated the negotiations with the CSTB early in the process to establish the likely limitations that might be applied.
Alongside discussions with the Bureau de Contrôle, a path was mapped out that led to an official Cahier summarising the design parameters, the testing required, and the timeframe to successfully achieve the ATEx.
© Eckersley O’Callaghan 2024
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