Ever looked at something – or someone – and thought “What’s the actual point?” It turns out there are lots of useless things in the world but surely stairs should never make the list.
To prove a point, to no-one but myself, I did a quick Google search. “What’s the point of stairs?” The results yielded no surprises: “The primary purpose of stairs is to provide a simple and easy means of moving between levels.” “Provide access from one floor to another.” “Provide a suitable means of escape in case of fire.” And so on and so forth.
Yet there are stairs aplenty that could have you scratching your head - and possibly even breaking your neck. They are, for lack of a better word, pointless. So my next question for Google had to be “Why do some stairs look like they were designed and built by a blindfolded ostrich with its head in the sand?” Google was confused but did inform me, as a side note, that an ostrich’s brain is smaller than its eyeballs.
Bored Panda has compiled a list of some of the most epic and bizarre stair design fails that might leave you thinking your eyeballs are deceiving you. And in case you ever encounter any of them, we spoke to two experts. One about the hidden purpose of strange stairs and another about how to remain firmly on your feet.
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#1 I Don't Think The Owner Of This Hotel Thought This Through
Image credits: pookiemon
If you’ve never fallen or tripped on stairs, consider yourself super lucky. You might not realize it but there’s a lot going on in our brains and bodies when we use a flight of stairs. I’m talking about straightforward, simple stairs. Not the wonky, nonsensical ones designed by blindfolded ostriches.
“Stairs lend themselves to fantasy and artistic aspirations and it’s easy to get carried away and forget about functionality!” said world-renowned designer and architect, David Rockwell in an exclusive interview with Bored Panda. Rockwell is the Founder and President of the Rockwell Group and has won several awards, so he knows a thing or two about what works and what doesn’t.
Rockwell told us that sometimes what appears to be a staircase design “fail” is actually a carefully planned masterpiece. “My favorite ‘stairway to nowhere’ is in the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach, designed by Morris Lapidus,” he said. “The stairs actually did lead to a mezzanine coat room, but their main purpose was to allow guests to take a moment on the way down to pose and show off—to see and be seen. The stairs provide the perfect ‘curtain up’ moment.”
But of course, there will always be stairs that provide the perfect falling down moment.
#2 This Staircase. I've Almost Fell Down Several Times, And It's A Pain To Go Up
Image credits: Mr-Emil
Dr. Shirley Rietdyk is a professor of kinesiology at the University of Purdue in the United States. An expert in the study of human movement, balance, trips and falls. She’s spent years scrutinizing the science of slips and slides on stairs – accidents that many of us might put down to clumsiness, environmental factors, or sometimes even, bad staircase design.
She chatted to Bored Panda to take us through the lesser known steps of climbing stairs. It turns out the journey of a thousand miles begins even before you take a single step.
“When approaching a staircase in the home or the community, you will visually scan it before you reach the staircase. The visual scanning provides information regarding the location of the first step, as well as the height and depth of the treads, the number of steps, and location of handrails (if present),” said Rietdyk.
“This visual information is used to guide foot placement and foot elevation to ensure that you climb the stairs safely. The visual information is gathered before you reach the staircase, and the visual information is updated as you climb/descend the stairs. Thus, it is important that vision is not impaired or obstructed."
She warned that carrying large items like laundry baskets, or moving boxes adds an extra level of risk.
Now throw in some bad stair design and imagine your brain doing backflips, as it tries to decipher an optical illusion of hieroglyphics, before translating it into a language your limbs can understand.
#3 Good Luck Getting Furniture And Drunk People Up These Things
Image credits: Helpful-Substance685
#4 This Gave Me An Aneurysm
Image credits: disabledopossum
To avoid getting tripped up, Dr. Rietdyk says it’s important to remain focused when using a staircase. Especially if they’re badly built. “Take your time, make sure your hands are available (i.e., not carrying something, not in your pockets), ensure you look at the staircase, avoid distractions (phone, texting, conversation, activities in environment that draw your attention), turn the lights on, use the handrail, wear reasonable footwear,” she told Bored Panda.
Reasonable footwear, you say? Definitely time to ditch those 7-inch Marc Jacobs Kiki boots. Unless of course you want to be like this model who took the fall for fashion.
#5 A Little Nauseating Looking Down
Image credits: thisoldhoustonhouse
#6 Can You Guess Where Does The Step Start And End In The Stairway Of My University?
Image credits: RhadaMarine
Rietdyk was recently part of a team of researchers that spied on students using staircases on campus. The team wanted to find out why young adults are the third most likely age group to fall on stairs (after toddlers and the elderly) – and why young women are much more likely than their male counterparts to take a tumble. The study, published in 2023, notes “although less than 1% of the waking day is spent on stairs, 12% of falls in young adults occurred while navigating stairs.”
The team used hidden cameras to monitor risk behaviors associated with falls. These included wearing inappropriate footwear, not using handrails, skipping steps, using electronic devices and other distracting activities, not keeping hands free to grasp the handrail in the case of a stumble, and not looking at feet.
Of the more than 2,400 students observed, all those who lost their balance were not watching their step. 69% of those who fell exhibited two or more risky behaviors. Young women made up around 80% of the risk-takers. And it was about more than wearing designer heels or platform boots. The research revealed that women were less likely to use the handrail, more likely to be carrying something and more likely to be chatting to someone while walking.
#7 Wheelchair Ramps In Pakistan
Image credits: pahaare
#8 The Staircase At My Hotel Room Just Drops Off
Image credits: Opposite_Strategy_43
#9 These Stairs In An Airbnb That We Are Wiring
Image credits: PerceivedDeath
Since Rietdyk emphasized the importance of being able to see where you’re going, those wearing spectacles might think they have a leg up on others when it comes to navigating a difficult flight of stairs. But don’t be fooled, said Rietdyk. “Bifocals or progressive adaptive lenses will distort the view of the staircase; if you wear bifocals, tilt your head down to ensure you are looking at the stairs through the middle/upper portion of your lenses.”
#10 This Staircase In My Home. Architects Told My Parents This Was The Best Solution To Fit The Small Space. After 20 Years, I Still Sometimes Save Myself From Falling Down
Image credits: thoxo
#11 Alternating Tread Staircase. I've Fallen Down It Before When I Was Going Too Quick And My Life Flashed Before My Eyes, Especially With It Being Easy Enough To Fall Over The Railings
Image credits: mywhisperedsighs
#12 Handicapped-Accessible Ramp In Germany
Image credits: iLuffy99
Scrolling through these images, it would seem not much thought goes into the design of stairs. But there’s actually (supposed to be) a whole psychology behind staircase design. Shape, size, color and lighting all play a part in how we navigate stairs, how we feel while using them – and whether we even choose to use them.
“Often the stairs we design are sculptural, monumental centerpieces. Because of my interest and background in theater, I like to think about stairs as a central part of the choreography of a space,” said Rockwell. “Stairs really have a huge transformative power in terms of defining how we enter and exit a space, which makes them an intriguing design challenge. And the user’s experience and interaction with architecture and interior design elicits emotion in the process.”
#13 Stairs In Front Of A Local Beer Stand At A Festival
Image credits: HotterThenMyDaughter
#14 The Stairs Leading To This Bedroom
Image credits: reddit.com
#15 This Space-Saving Staircase Has Alternating Half-Steps
Image credits: TheDon298
Calming or earthy colors promote a sense of relaxation for a slow meander up or down a flight of stairs. Bright yellows, oranges or reds keep us on high alert and get us moving faster - useful in the event of an emergency evacuation.
With that in mind, let’s just hope you never have to flee a building using any of the stairs pictured here.
#16 In Mexico, We Have Handicap Stairs
Image credits: jalcarazb
#17 Me On My Girlfriend's Stairs
Image credits: Gunny-Guy
#18 This Restaurant Had Wheelchair-Accessible Washrooms… Down The Stairs
Image credits: baabaaredsheep
Rietdyk has this warning should you encounter – and choose to use – a strange looking staircase: “Often, the first time someone uses an unusual staircase, they will be extra careful. But with repeated use of the staircase and they don’t slip, trip, stumble or fall, they may become over confident, and then pay less attention, walk faster, leave the lights off, etc.”
#19 These Weird Stairs I Found On A Hiking Trail
Image credits: Tememeemitius
#20 They Don't Like Visitors I Suppose
Image credits: Zebeyana
#21 What Kind Of Disabled Ramp Is This?
Image credits: berko23
One of my most spectacular falls happened many years ago. Let’s call it my student days (or nights). So spectacular was that stumble that it’ll likely live rent-free in the shadows of my mind until my dying days. I’d gone out to play pool with a group of friends. The place was popular but had a never-ending stairway to hell. What felt like over a hundred of those old, creaky wooden steps with some twists and turns thrown in for good measure. And barely any lighting – for chaotic effect. I guess we figured the night was worth the flight. So up we went.
But what goes up must come down… And when I say “come down”, what I mean is I made it halfway (semi-gracefully), before my foot missed a beat and my ass took a beating. I bounced the rest of the way down – all the way out onto the sidewalk. Luckily for me, no major injuries were reported, save for a bruised bum - and a broken ego.
#22 Please Step On Your Kitchen Counter To Go Up
Image credits: Bosmonster
#23 Arbitrary Stairs In The Middle Of A Hallway
Image credits: Barbary_Corsairs_
#24 Left Leg Goes Straight, Right Leg Carries On Down. Plus, It's On Marble At A Swimming Pool
Image credits: Dragonogard549
While the primary purpose of stairs is to get us from point A to point B (on our feet), there’s a whole other level to them many of us might not even realize.
David Rockwell calls stairs ”a form of art”. And is there such a thing as bad art? We’ll leave that for you to decide.
In his Ted Talk, “The Hidden Ways Stairs Shape Your Life”, Rockwell described how stairs shape our movement and emotions: “As we move across a stairway, the form dictates our pacing, our feeling, our safety and our relationship and engagement with the space around us.”
“So for a second, think about stepping down a gradual, monumental staircase like the one in front of the New York Public Library. From those steps, you have a view of the street and all the people around you, and your walk is slow and steady because the tread is so wide," he told the audience, before adding, "That's a totally different experience than going down the narrow staircase to, say, an old pub, where you spill into the room. There, you encounter tall risers, so you move more quickly.”
#25 Disastrous Stair Gap
Image credits: yertopian
#26 These Stairs Where You Have To Hug The Wall Or You'll Sprain Your Ankle
Image credits: purukumihoro
#27 I Saw This House For Rent. Original Hardwood And Bonus Death Trap Stairwell
Image credits: missrutabaga
So, if you happen to take a tumble on the stairs after drinks at your local bar, you have our blessing not to blame it on the alcohol.
Provided you weren’t engaging in any other risky behavior, blame it on the stairs. Obviously. They should have understood the assignment and encouraged you to walk at a slow and steady pace.
#28 Brand New Handicapped Ramp At My Local Public Park
Image credits: bonez656
#29 This Double-Spiral Staircase
Image credits: hawaiiinsomniac
#30 This Flight Of Stairs Is So Narrow It's Designed To Be Used Only Left Foot First (Skopje, Macedonia)
Image credits: BluthCompanyBanana
#31 Ramp Followed By Stairs, Outside My Clinic
Image credits: baldcape_sensei
#32 Imagine Being Late To Catch The Train And Realizing Where This Leads Halfway Down
Image credits: Cherry_Caliban
#33 This Was A Wheelchair Ramp To A Mall, But When People Started Using It For Shopping Carts The Mall Decided To "Fix" The Issue Like That
Image credits: Asem_ibrahim
#34 This Ridiculous Wrist-Breaker Handrail. This Was A Real Handrail That I Saw At A Real House
Image credits: sernamealreadytaco
#35 Stairs That Lead To My Unit. Always Need To Warn People Who Come Over For The First Time
Image credits: jst4qs
#36 My Mate Moved Into A New Apartment And This Is His Staircase
Image credits: Soulja-Hummus
#37 These Stairs At An Art Museum Are Horrible. I Have Difficulties In Depth Perception Even If My Eyesight Is Perfect And I Had To Keep My Hands On The Ramp At All Time
Image credits: oiseaufeux
#38 This Staircase At My University Has No Perceivable Purpose
Image credits: zenithpns
#39 Useless Access Ramp In A Dubai Shopping Mall
Image credits: Viper-S15
#40 Odd Staircase Design
Image credits: lufc_atw
#41 Carpeted Stairs, Except That Last One
Image credits: RagamuffinTim
#42 Got The Wheelchair Ramps Installed, Boss
Image credits: 3rror-4o4
#43 This Tiny Stair Handrail
Image credits: ceowin
#44 Garden Stairs Of Death
Image credits: KaleidoscopicColours
#45 Discovery Park, Seattle. The Top Half Is A Ramp
Image credits: Mountainpilot
#46 Staircase To Nowhere
Image credits: fujojoshi
#47 Useless Stairs, Freshly Installed
Image credits: Zykium
#48 The Stairs In My Airbnb
Image credits: SirZanee
#49 These Wheelchair-Accessible Stairs In Switzerland
Image credits: babius321
#50 What's The Purpose Of These Stairs?
Image credits: beespartan
