Take the Stairs

Dear Diary,

I was reading my Harvard Gazette yesterday and there was an article about staircases, specifically, the ones around Harvard, many of which I remember climbing during my time there.  It also spoke about the idea that perhaps staircases will be a thing of the past with the need today of making all buildings handicap accessible. I hope that never happens. 

All of this reminded me, of the bad and creaky knees, that a few years ago I drove 1,000 miles to see, and climb, a staircase...the one I post today.  It is in the Pleasant Hill Shaker Village in Kentucky.  I learned about it in an architectural history class in college and I'd always wanted to see it in person and so off I went.  It is an amazing piece of architectural engineering.  I also love the round barn at the Shaker Village in Hancock, Massachusetts.  Its interior reminded me of Gothic cathedrals.

Staircases can be elegant and beautiful transitions and I would hate to see them loose their importance in architecture.  We can have both, accessibility and beauty.  Although I often rely on elevators, sometimes it is much better to "take the stairs".