Stair landing

A stair landing is the flat, step-free part of a staircase. It sits where one flight ends and the next begins, where the stair changes direction, or at the floor level where you step off. The one at floor level is a floor landing; the one between floors is an intermediate or half landing.

Why landings are needed

Landings do three jobs. The first is rest: a long, unbroken flight is tiring and more dangerous in a fall, so a break is introduced after a certain number of steps. The second is turning: in U-shaped and L-shaped stairs, the landing is what links the flights. The third concerns doors and openings; a door should never open straight onto a step, and a level area in front of it is an important safety point. A common design principle is that a landing should be at least as wide as the flight it serves, while exact dimensions and the maximum number of steps per flight are set by regulations for each building type. On escape stairs, landings are sized with evacuation, and sometimes stretchers, in mind.

Landings in design

A half landing creates a small pause inside the stair: a window, a seat or a view can make sense there. In visualization, light falling through a landing window often sets the mood of the whole stairwell, and using that spot when choosing a camera position tends to give the strongest frame.