Photos courtesy of: JBR Life Media
In his Olinda studio, Maui woodworker Nick Fournier polishes his latest creation: a spiral staircase made of richly grained monkeypod wood. The set of fifteen beveled steps unfurls from its base like a series of succulent leaves reaching for the light. The entire assembly appears to float in midair. It’s a showpiece designed to transport people from one plane to another - both literally and figuratively.
Even simple staircases must conform to precise parameters: Steps must be uniform in height - between seven and eight inches tall - and at least three feet wide to meet building codes. Within these constraints, Fournier gets wildly creative. He uses CAD (computer-aided design) software to imagine the most aesthetic path from here to there and a CNC (computer numerical control) router to cut each piece precisely.
When one client asked for “something organic,” says Fournier, “I put this staircase into virtual reality and was able to sculpt a branch, just like a real tree trunk.” The result is entirely curvaceous - there’s not a straight line between the top and bottom landings. Each step is a modular piece fastened together with steel brackets, like vertebrae on an undulating spine.
The self-taught artist/architect got his start sixteen years ago, tooling around in makerspaces - community studios where creative types share equipment and ideas. He moved to Maui in 2007 to build a recording studio for local musicians Willie K and Eric Gilliom. He honed his wood-working skills while building heirloom furniture for Ethan Fierro, then launched his own business. He’s since built a dozen custom staircases, plus furniture and commercial displays. For the Maui Ocean Center’s new humpback whale exhibit, Fournier fabricated a tunnel-like series of arches that evoke the sensation of being inside the belly of a whale.
Spiral staircases are Fournier’s specialty. He works with reclaimed local woods, such as the monkeypod felled on a friend’s property. His signature style is defined by what’s missing: a central column. Rather than wind around a pillar, his carved steps twist around one another like a double helix. Fournier’s stairs sell for between $150,000 and $300,000. His most recent commission took twenty-eight weeks, and his next job is twice the size: a double flight destined for a home in Montreal. “Staircases are so challenging,” he says. “That’s what I love about them. They’re art plus engineering.”
Article from: Hana Hou! The Magazine of Hawaiian Airlines Issue 24.3: July - August 2021 Native Intelligence: Maui
“Flights of Fancy” Story by Shannon Wianecki.