ICO New Gate, Zeebrugge [BE]

EeStairs + B2AI Roeselare

These stairs are like a swan – white, gracefully poised, effortless. And yet this spiral staircase at the ICO New Gate building at Zeebrugge posed an unusual challenge to the EeStairs team. The only way the staircase could be brought into the building by our installation team was through a very small rectangular gap measuring only 2.5m by 1.4m.

The solution? The stairs were made in one complete piece in our factory and then cut, very precisely, into six elements small enough to get into the building. Despite this, the geometry and surface finishes of the stairs are perfect – no sign of cut-joints or misalignments. And this was due to EeStairs close collaboration with the client’s project manager, Jordy Depret. The treads and risers were given a factory-finish suitable to take a durable post-installation polyurethane coating.

Another factor in the smooth finish was the super-flexible (but highly durable) EeSoffit system, which ensured perfect adhesion between the steel stairs, the soffit, and the joint between the soffit and the balustrade. That spiralling joint-line is what really shows the excellent quality of the finish – the joint-line is smooth and razor-sharp from top to bottom. EeStairs also made and installed a finely detailed glass balustrade for the building’s mezzanine balcony.