ONE STEP AHEAD OF THE TRENDS

ONE STEP AHEAD OF THE TRENDS

Bättig Design creates avant-garde staircases for commercial and residential interiors

BY SUSAN KELLY

A STAIRCASE PAS COMME LES AUTRES, even extraordinaire is the dream of many a homeowner. And it is exactly the effect Martin Bättig, founder and president of Bättig Design in Trois-Rivières, Quebec, is after. “While we can’t completely reinvent the staircase, I’m all about pushing the design envelope as far as possible,” he says.

The look of Bättig’s company’s staircases is cutting-edge contemporary, although it still turns a hand to traditional wroughtiron versions on occasion. Perhaps the most dramatic examples of the Bättig team’s work are on display in the multi-million-dollar revamp of the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in downtown Montreal. The majestic black glass-and-steel main staircase was manufactured and installed by Bättig Design, who also consulted with architect Pascal Beauchemin of Sid Lee Architecture.

Marin Bättig started out 24 years ago designing furniture for himself and a few friends while completing an MBA. Word of his unique design approach spread until it became a lucrative sideline. He soon started tinkering with stairs, intrigued by the combination of form and structural function.

Today, his company produces staircases, railings and fencing. A showroom, offices and production are housed in a 14,000-square-foot facility in Trois-Rivières. When he founded the company in 1998, 90 per cent of staircases were constructed of steel. Today, he reckons only 30 percent are purely of that material; the rest integrate wood, tempered glass, acrylic or concrete.

Bättig’s approach has won him a loyal following among homeowners, architects, designers and builders. And word is spreading fast. The client list now includes people based outside of the province of Quebec, largely in New York City and Toronto. Homeow ners anywhere can select an existing design from an idea book or commission a completely custom look. The Bättig Design team then assists with design choices and logistics such as measuring, sending quotations and 3D drawings via email.

And though Bättig never shies away from a design challenge, he insists that the result appear effortless. Take what is called a central- or mono-stringer staircase, which has a single ‘beam–like’ support in the centre of the treads. Bättig Design’s variations are invariably seamless and clean. The company works in scrupulously laser-cut metals with welding that is virtually invisible to the eye. “Our focus has always been on simplicity,” he says. “The fewer details you see, the better. That’s what gives a contemporary edge.”

What’s on the drawing board now? Bättig’s team is looking at updated versions of all-glass staircases that appear to float in the air. And the coming months will see brainstorming among the team with an eye to embedding not only lighting but television and other technology into a staircase. “We want to be ahead of the trend on this one,” Bättig says,” and ready to offer something truly different.” •

Bättig Design 1383 Laviolette St. Trois-Rivières, Quebec 1-800-818-4434 ~ 819-374-4434 www.battigdesign.com