Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Puglia Italy - Matera
Italy • 8 days, 7 nights
Southern Italy: Castles, Caves & Coastal Treasures in Puglia
from
Turkmenistan Gates of Hell Darvaza crater
Turkmenistan • 10 days, 9 nights
Turkmenistan & the Gates of Hell
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
The Bargain Stone stands in the churchyard.
Bargain Stone
The Ernst Thälmann Monument
Ernst Thälmann Monument
One of the BHS murals tells the origin story of Stockport.
The BHS Murals in Stockport
Peter Vazquez has been quietly making a name for himself for years.
The Appetite Repair Shop
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
Peter Vazquez has been quietly making a name for himself for years.
The Appetite Repair Shop
Ōmori Nori Vending Machine
Parkway Bakery and Tavern has been slinging these sandwiches since 1929.
Parkway Bakery and Tavern
Parkside Plum Juice
Dishes at Aksorn are grounded in deep historical research.
Aksorn
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
You could probably take some of that stuff out.
Dear Atlas: How Do I Pack Light for a Long Trip?
Ripples in the land are remnants of the field walls that once held rows of native sugarcane and sweet potatoes.
Unearthing the Mysteries of Hawai'i's Ancient Agriculture
Petrified Forest National Park.
Beware the Legends Behind These National Park Souvenirs
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All France Saint-Étienne Maison sans Escalier (The House Without Stairs)

Maison sans Escalier (The House Without Stairs)

An architectural oddity of six stories, accessed by graceful ramps.

Saint-Étienne, France

Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
  Cordiste69/CC BY-SA 3.0
  Mattho69/CC BY-SA 3.0
  Bjammes/CC BY-SA 3.0
  http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maisons_sans_...
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Nothing seems to distinguish the two buildings situated on the 54 and 56 Boulevard Daguerre that seem to blend like chameleons into the urban landscape of Saint Etienne.

But the two constructions known as "Les Chalets de Bizillon" hide an architectural curiosity; a helicoidal, gently sloping ramp serving the six stories, elevating its spiral as a mezzanine around a decorative indoor garden on the first floor.

Auguste Bossu is the inspired architect who designed his first project envisioning stairs as a totally archaic, out of date form. In a very passionate pamphlet, he describes his very intriguing, yet humanist architectural conception.

"The house without stairs, the house of the future!

Stairs are the most barbarian way of climbing stairs. Steps impose the same walking pace to everybody : to children and elderly, to sick and healthy people.

With the sloped ramp, one can walk the way he needs, long or short steps, fast or slow, like on a street pavement " 

This iconic helix, changing a rough climb into an architectonic stroll, also attests to the ingenuity and freedom of the creativity of France in-between war eras. Its dizzy esthetic inspired Frank Lloyd Wright when he was conceiving the famous New York Guggenheim Museum in 1959.

Related Tags

Architectural Oddities Stairs Architecture

Know Before You Go

Tramway : Centre Deux Station

Community Contributors

Edited By

Michelle Cassidy

  • Michelle Cassidy

Published

March 27, 2013

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maisons_sans_escalier
Maison sans Escalier (The House Without Stairs)
54 and 56 Boulevard Daguerre
Saint-Étienne, 42100
France
45.422664, 4.391347
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Saint-Pierre of Firminy

Firminy, France

miles away

Collégiale de Saint-Bonnet-Le-Château

Saint-Bonnet-le-Château, France

miles away

Labyrinthe des Dragons

Peaugres, France

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of France

France

Europe

Places 692
Stories 72

Nearby Places

Saint-Pierre of Firminy

Firminy, France

miles away

Collégiale de Saint-Bonnet-Le-Château

Saint-Bonnet-le-Château, France

miles away

Labyrinthe des Dragons

Peaugres, France

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of France

France

Europe

Places 692
Stories 72

Related Stories and Lists

30 of the World's Most Spectacular Spirals

List

By Kerry Wolfe

Related Places

  • Glasgow City Chambers Carrara marble staircase.

    Glasgow, Scotland

    Glasgow City Chambers' Staircase

    The ornate structure is part of a building boasting more marble than the Vatican.

  • Vancouver, British Columbia

    Woodward's Spiral Staircase to Nowhere

    A unique spiral staircase that doesn't quite make it up to the top floor.

  • The stairs to nowhere at Signal de Botrange.

    Waimes, Belgium

    Signal de Botrange

    The highest point in Belgium is a staircase to nowhere.

  • Washington, D.C.

    The Exorcist Stairs

    The site of the climactic scene from the classic horror film is now a historic landmark.

  • Boston, Massachusetts

    Exchange Place Staircase to Nowhere

    The remnants of a Gilded Age elegance preserved in the middle of a stark modern tower.

  • De Wieden National Park Observation Tower

    Sint Jansklooster, Netherlands

    De Wieden National Park Observation Tower

    Repurposed space and ultra-modern construction collide to create this geometric wooden spectacle.

  • A relic of St. Genevieve

    Paris, France

    The Relics of St. Genevieve at St-Etienne-du-Mont

    The remaining relics of the patroness of Paris lie in a chapel under a striking double spiral staircase.

  • San Francisco, California

    Secret Tiled Staircase

    An artsy hidden staircase leads to breathtaking views of San Francisco.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.