Outdoor Staircases of Montreal
by W Chris Fooshee
Title
Outdoor Staircases of Montreal
Artist
W Chris Fooshee
Medium
Photograph
Description
If there's one notable architectural feature that dominates Montreal, it's the Canadian city's many outdoor staircases. Eye-catching during the warmer months and altogether dangerous in the winter, the staircases that stretch from apartments right onto the street are a Montreal icon.
Though largely unseen in any other North American city, and as aesthetically pleasing as the iron staircases are, they are generally impractical nature for half of the year, when the stairs are covered by a thick layer of ice.
Montreal’s outdoor staircases arose out of necessity. As the city grew between 1890 and 1930, it’s population quadrupled. Demands for housing proved critical, and tall, narrow multiplexes sprung up to replace the older, village-style townhomes.
In the late 19th century, municipal law required that a firewall be placed at every 25 feet, restricting the width of the buildings and making internal stairs inefficient and space wasting. About the same time, another law specified homes be set back from the road, to allow for gardens … and staircases.
Uploaded
November 2nd, 2021
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