On Boulevard Daguerre in Saint-Étienne, two round interwar apartment buildings continue to draw attention. Created by architect Auguste Bossu, they present a playful face to the street while offering an unexpectedly peaceful interior. Decades after they were built, their model for collective housing remains strikingly current.
Who designed the Houses Without Stairs and why
Auguste Bossu was an architect determined to challenge convention. He objected to the broken, stop-and-start experience of conventional staircases and instead imagined uninterrupted circulation, comparable to walking along a pavement. In 1933, he completed the first of the “Bizillon Chalets”, known locally as the Houses Without Stairs. A near-identical second block was constructed in 1939–1940, shortly before the war disrupted building work in France.
Bossu replaced steps with a gentle helical ramp running around a bright central void, turning vertical circulation into an easy walk.
The proposition was both straightforward and effective. Rising in a continuous, shallow gradient, the ramp passes every landing without requiring residents to climb steps. The scheme prioritised accessibility long before it was formally embedded in building regulations. It also connected neighbours around a communal centre: a sunlit atrium intended for pausing, meeting and passing through.
How the buildings work
Each building contains 36 flats across six levels. From the entrance at ground level, residents can reach their homes on foot, with a pushchair or using a trolley, without stepping onto a stair. The ramp circles an internal courtyard illuminated beneath a concrete dome perforated with glass bricks. Daylight enters with a soft quality, echoes remain subdued, and everyday movement feels clear and secure.
- Year of the first block: 1933
- Second block built: 1939–1940
- Floors: six per building
- Dwellings: 36 per building
- Staircases: none, by design
On the exterior, the façades combine circular and hexagonal forms. Six protruding ribs divide the rounded mass into distinct facets. Seen from the pavement, the blocks appear at once substantial and lightweight, with an almost maritime character. The entrances were originally set off by water jets and mineral arrangements, creating a modest urban scene that made even routine arrivals feel distinctive.
Architecture and materials
Bossu’s geometric approach did more than provide visual interest. The circular arrangement helped maintain a comfortable ramp gradient, while the ribs reinforced the outer shell. Openings of glass brick in the dome brought daylight into the centre without harsh glare. Curving handrails follow the route indoors; landings face the atrium at regular widths; and doorways are aligned in a consistent sequence. Even for first-time visitors, the building is easy to understand and navigate.
No single element steals the show. The whole ensemble-ramp, light, geometry-quietly serves the daily needs of many different bodies.
Recognition and preservation
In 1989, France granted historic protection to parts of the first building, including the façades, terraces, internal court, ramp and skylights. The designation recognised these structures as unusual yet still operational prototypes for accessible early-20th-century housing.
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1933 | First “House Without Stairs” completed on Boulevard Daguerre |
| 1939–1940 | Second, near-twin block built amid late-interwar construction |
| 1989 | Key elements of the first block listed as historic |
Daily life shaped by a ramp
Living without steps transforms ordinary routines. A pushchair can be moved with ease, while shopping can be wheeled home on a small trolley. Neighbours can talk as they make their way around the rising loop, rather than trying to pass one another on a narrow flight of stairs. Deliveries become more manageable, people recovering from temporary injuries can retain their independence, and older residents can move at an even pace.
The ramp is not an accessory; it forms the building’s backbone. At a time of ageing populations and growing interest in inclusive design, the decision seems notably far-sighted. It removes common points of conflict and lessens anxiety about falls on short journeys. The central atrium also provides passive surveillance alongside a subtle social dimension: residents see familiar faces and, in turn, know that they are visible.
Why the Auguste Bossu buildings matter now
Contemporary cities need homes that can accommodate everyone without relying on complex technology. Bossu’s solution depends on architectural form rather than machinery. These buildings demonstrate how gentle gradients, legible planning and natural light can perform roles that lifts alone cannot. Lifts can break down and require maintenance; ramps remain usable during a power cut. They also encourage people to walk.
- Access by design, not by exception
- Shared spaces that feel safe and usable
- Daylight used as wayfinding
- Low-energy mobility between floors
- Architecture that stays relevant across generations
Context in architectural history
Ramps feature prominently in celebrated cultural architecture, from the rooftop test track at Lingotto in Turin to the spiralling route of New York’s Guggenheim. In those projects, they are expressions of spectacle. The ramp in Saint-Étienne serves a less common purpose: it supports ordinary housing. This makes the experiment more exacting and, quietly, more radical. It needed to function at 7 a.m. on a wet Tuesday, rather than only on an opening night.
Location and what to expect
The two circular blocks stand on Boulevard Daguerre, south of central Saint-Étienne. They remain occupied homes and can be appreciated respectfully from the street. Anyone passing by can clearly read the curved façades and projecting ribs from the pavement. The more dramatic features-the atrium’s muted light and the ramp’s gradual spiral-are for residents to experience. That privacy allows the site to endure as a home rather than becoming merely an architectural case study.
What designers can learn from it
Universal design is neither a final layer nor a label. It is an approach to planning that considers circulation a resource shared by all. A helical ramp of the kind designed by Bossu will not suit every location, but its underlying lesson is widely applicable. Make step-free movement the norm, rather than an exception. Put social interaction at the centre instead of relegating it to leftover spaces. Employ geometry to make routes understandable, not simply to ornament them.
For reference, standard housing guidance commonly recommends shallow ramp gradients so that routine walking remains comfortable. Many building codes internationally specify accessible ramp slopes of roughly 5% to 8.33%, together with regular resting landings. Designers must weigh distance against effort before refining practical details, including handrail height, turning space and slip-resistant finishes, to suit real people carrying real bags of shopping.
A small thought experiment
Picture a six-level infill building on a constrained urban plot. Rather than a stair core, introduce a looped ramp around a lightwell. Include a compact, energy-efficient lift for longer journeys or heavy loads, but retain the ramp as the dependable default. This distributes pedestrian movement, reduces concern about stairs and gives neighbours somewhere to greet each other without obstructing circulation.
There are compromises involved. Ramps require more floor space than steep staircases, and the structure must support the curved slab. Effective ventilation and daylight are essential if the loop is to remain pleasant. The Saint-Étienne buildings offer one response: a bright dome, a carefully proportioned central space and a deliberate rhythm along the curve.
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