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Light-Up Stairs Give a Grand Entrance, But Don't Play Piano

by Matthew Zuras on April 7, 2010 at 07:20 AM


Remember that movie 'Big' with Tom Hanks? Of course you do! And you'll especially remember that iconic scene where he plays 'Chopsticks' by dancing on the giant-electric piano, and how that made all of us direly want one of those giant-electric pianos (which could possibly explain the bizarre popularity of 'Dance Dance Revolution' some years later). And the meme-savvy among you may remember this video from late last year, wherein some Swedish designers transformed a Stockholm subway staircase into a similarly giant piano. Some Swedes were perturbed, but -- as the design experiment hoped -- most people decided to take the stairs of the escalator, because musical walking is fun.

Designer Edo Kriegsmann must like interactive stairs, too, because he's crafted a set that lights up as you traverse them (video after the break). Now, we happen to think that these LED stairs reek of cheesy Las Vegas flair, but we can't exactly tell you why. It isn't simply the fact that they light up (since we do like the line of outdoor lighting tiles by Minimis), or that they don't play piano tones as you step. Could it be the cobblestone stairs themselves, or the fact that the whole space looks like an overly earnest bachelor pad? The drama with which one goes up and down makes us roll our eyes a bit, but to each his own. Subtlety and restraint are hallmarks of great design, and these things end up screaming "set piece for an '80s hair band." [From: Ubergizmo]

Tags: design, edo kriegsmann, EdoKriegsmann, led, lighting, stairs

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