Three sculptural HIMACS spiral staircases for a London HQ

Project snapshot

Project partners: Spiral Staircase Systems, Structure Tone London
Fabricator: DFMK
Material: HIMACS (Ispani)
Scale: 3 spiral staircases, 200+ HIMACS sheets, 25 MDF moulds
Location: London, UK

All professional photography © Soren Kristensen – SOLK Photography Ltd

The brief

Spiral Staircase Systems came to us with plans for three spiral staircases, part of a central London site being redeveloped into a new, global headquarters. The staircases were designed as a building centrepiece, with curved geometry running the full height of each one.

We handled the solid surface fabrication and installation. With over 200 sheets of HIMACS across the three staircases, it’s one of the largest projects of its kind we’ve completed, as well as one of the largest in the UK.

A standard staircase is straight lines and repeating parts. These were curved and flowing, designed to read as one continuous form from bottom to top, with every panel seamlessly feeding into the next. There’s no room for error on curves. A panel out by a few millimetres would throw off everything around it, so every section had to be exactly right. 

The material

HIMACS is a material we’ve used for years and are very familiar with. We knew it was well-suited to a job like this.

• It can be heat-formed into complex curves – exactly what a spiral staircase needs
• Panels bond and sand back so joins disappear, giving one continuous surface
• The colour runs through the full thickness of the material, so it wears well
• It’s non-porous and durable, built for daily use in a working HQ
• The surface can be repaired and restored over its lifespan

For this project we worked with HIMACS Ispani across all three staircases. Ispani is a subtle marble-effect finish from the HIMACS Marmo collection, with soft veining that runs through the surface. It gives the staircases a natural, stone-like look with all the benefits of an acrylic solid surface: a seam-free, non-porous finish that stands up to daily use.  

Read more: Everything you need to know about HIMACS

The fabrication and assembly

The work started with the drawings. We analysed each one and put the moulds into production. To form the curved sections, we made 25 moulds from MDF, each shaped to match the panels they’d create. Once the moulds were ready, the HIMACS was cut into component sections, heat-formed around them and left to cool.

The cooled panels were trimmed to their exact dimensions, transported to site and fitted by our installation teams. We worked through panel by panel, repeating the process until every section was in place.

Each panel was resin-bonded to the next with HIMACS adhesive and sanded back until the seam was gone. We finished every join the same way, so you can’t see or feel where one panel ends and the next begins. Across over 200 sheets and three staircases, it took accuracy at every stage and it shows in the result: a continuous flowing surface.

Built to last

The three staircases are now a permanent part of the headquarters, used every day by the people who work there. What started as drawings is now a working centrepiece, and the finish earns its place every day it’s used.

Our templating and install teams are skilled at taking a brief like this from drawing to fitting. Most people think solid surface stops at a kitchen worktop. We’ve spent over 40 years proving it doesn’t, and complex projects like this are exactly why we love the work.

We’ve been fabricating premium solid surfaces for decades, helping clients turn ambitious ideas into finished pieces that work. If you’ve got a project in mind, we’re always happy to talk it through. Get in touch to discuss how we can help.