I think stairs may be

建築師拿來使用的實體元素中

one of the most emotionally malleable physical elements

最有情緒延展性的。

that an architect has to work with.

[小東西。大點子。]

[Small thing. Big idea.]

[大衛·洛克威爾談樓梯]

[David Rockwell on the Stairs]

在最基本的層面上，樓梯是從Ａ點到

At its most basic, a stair is a way to get from point A to point B

不同高度之Ｂ點的一條路。

at different elevations.

樓梯有共通的語言。

Stairs have a common language.

踏板，也就是你踩踏的那個東西。

Treads, which is the thing that you walk on.

豎板，也就是分開 兩個踏板用的垂直元素。

Riser, which is the vertical element that separates the two treads.

許多樓梯有突沿， 它會形成一種邊緣。

A lot of stairs have nosings that create a kind of edge.

而用來連結的就是斜樑。

And then, the connected piece is a stringer.

這些不同形式的部份 加在一起就組成了樓梯。

Those pieces, in different forms, make up all stairs.

我猜想，樓梯的出現是因為有人說：

I assume stairs came to be from the first time someone said,

「我想從較低的這塊石頭 到較高的那塊上頭。」

"I want to get to this higher rock from the lower rock."

人們用他們可得的任何東西來爬高：

People climbed using whatever was available:

原木台階、梯子、

stepped logs, ladders

以及隨時間走出來的自然路徑。

and natural pathways that were worn over time.

最早期的樓梯， 像是契琴伊薩的金字塔，

Some of the earliest staircases, like the pyramids in Chichén Itzá

或是前往中國泰山的路，

or the roads to Mount Tai in China,

都是為了到達更高的地方，

were a means of getting to a higher elevation,

去舉行敬神儀式或得到保護。

which people sought for worship or for protection.

隨著工程的發展，實用性上也進步了。

As engineering has evolved, so has what's practical.

樓梯可以用各種材料來製造。

Stairs can be made from all kinds of material.

有直線型樓梯，也有螺旋型樓梯。

There are linear stairs, there are spiraled stairs.

樓梯可以在室內，也可以在室外。

Stairs can be indoors, they can be outdoors.

在緊急時刻樓梯對我們很有幫助。

They clearly help us in an emergency.

同時樓梯本身也是一種藝術。

But they're also a form of art in and of themselves.

當我們在上下樓梯時，

As we move across a stairway,

它的形式會決定 我們的步距、感受、安全性，

the form dictates our pacing, our feeling, our safety

以及我們和周圍空間的關係和連結。

and our relationship and engagement with the space around us.

現在，想像一下， 走下巨大的建築物前的平緩樓梯，

So for a second, think about stepping down a gradual, monumental staircase

就像紐約公共圖書館前面的樓梯。

like the one in front of the New York Public Library.

從那些階梯上，

From those steps,

你能看到街道以及你周圍所有的人，

you have a view of the street and all the people around you,

因為踏板很寬， 你的步伐會是緩慢且平穩的。

and your walk is slow and steady because the tread is so wide.

那種體驗完全不同於

That's a totally different experience

走下狹窄的樓梯， 如老舊酒吧裡的樓梯，

than going down the narrow staircase to, say, an old pub,

讓你跌走著下到房間裡。

where you spill into the room.

那種樓梯的豎板比較高， 所以你會移動得較快。

There, you encounter tall risers, so you move more quickly.

樓梯能帶來很大的戲劇效果。

Stairs add enormous drama.

想想看樓梯如何傳達出 宏偉入口的感受，

Think about how stairs signaled a grand entrance

它們是那個當下的明星。

and were the star of that moment.

樓梯甚至可以像是英雄。

Stairs can even be heroic.

在 911 紐約世界貿易中心 被攻擊之後

The staircase that remained standing after September 11th

仍然毅立著的樓梯

and the attack on the World Trade Center

被稱為「生存者的樓梯」。

was dubbed the "Survivors' Staircase,"

因為它扮演了一個核心角色， 引導了數百人到安全的地方。

because it played such a central role in leading hundreds of people to safety.

但小型樓梯也可能有很大的影響。

But small stairs can have a huge impact, too.

門廊吸引鄰居聚集，

The stoop is a place that invites neighbors to gather,

大聲播放音樂， 以及看著城市運行。

blast music, and watch the city in motion.

看著人們想要在樓梯上消磨時間 很吸引我。

It's fascinating to me that you see people wanting to hang out on the stairs.

我想，樓梯滿足了 我們內心深處的人類需求，

I think they fill a deeply human need we have

那就是想在一個不只是 平地上的一個空間中。

to inhabit a space more than just on the ground plane.

所以如果你能坐在 那空間的一半高之處，

And so if you're able to sit halfway up there,

我們就像身處一個很魔幻的地方。

you're in a kind of magical place.