books + stairs = omg

I am almost positive I have posted 

a picture of this gem at the very least,
but it absolutely bears repeating,
considering the background information.

Levitate Architects Bookshelf Staircase

Private home, North London

Necessity breeds innovation, they say. And that’s exactly how this cool bookshelf came about.

The owners of a small 70 square meter (753 sq. foot) tow house in London needed more livable interior space. Together with their design firm, Levitate Architects, they decided to turn the attic space into a loft bedroom.

But how to maximize the space leading up to the bedroom? For that, they designed a stairwell that could double as a mini-library. As is obvious from the photos, the stairs themselves are the bookshelves. Harder to see is how the unusual shape and staggering of the stairs make them comfortable for sitting on. The stairs are designed for people to curl up with a book for a prolonged time; there’s even a skylight directly above the stairs to provide ample natural light for reading.

The most impressive architecture feat of this staircase is one not visible in the photos. This home is in a 1898 Victorian building and the old floor was not able to accommodate the weight the staircase would have placed upon it. So the entire staircase, books and all, literally hangs from a steel bar built into the foundation of the home!

And it does not have an owner that’s about to move their book collection to an Amazon Kindle anytime soon.

via {spot cool stuff}