Ballard Spahr

Floating stairs give clients something to talk about in Minneapolis

Completed: October 2017
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Architect: Plaad LLC, in collaboration with Yellow Dog Studios
Contractor: Greiner Construction

This renovation featured a custom glass railing system mounted with specially engineered steel pressure plates hidden within the treads of the floating stairs. The pressure plate assemblies mimicked the same profile and cut as the steel stringer, and mounted to the concealed stinger with stud welds. Sightline Commercial Solutions worked with the contract glazier to design a custom steel pressure plate system to meet glass railing loading requirements while preserving the architect’s design intent.