Auditorium & Scissor Stairs - Arup Birmingham

Xylotek were contracted to design, supply and install the bespoke timber theatre stairs and scissor stairs at the refurbished Arup offices in Central Birmingham. Spanning three floors and 68,000 sq ft, this state-of-the-art space is the second-largest UK base for Arup. Collaborative spaces cater to diverse needs, supporting events and neurodiverse settings. The importance of timber within this fit out is clear throughout the space, creating a biophilic environment to foster creativity and productivity.

The timber elements of the design which included the 2-floor scissor staircase, theatre stairs and acoustically smart small meeting spaces, were designed by the Xylotek team to fit the brief specifications for a high-quality well-finished architectural functional timber piece for their building.
The designed elements were then fabricated and supplied through our Xylotek Bristol workshop and collaborators Stora Enzo and Timber Concept.

The CLT scissor staircase has complex design geometries in its offset angles and is the central feature staircase of the office building - connecting all the social spaces. Visible from street, this staircase demonstrates the value placed on timber within the design as a whole. The staircase also features a curved oak handrail, which was designed by Xylotek around the intended lighting system specified by the client. The theatre stairs, which include upholstered benches (fabricated in Bristol by Cat Upholstery), is at street level and will be used for both internal and external presentations by the Arup team.  

Commencing on site, Xylotek assembled the scissor stairs in 6 separate pieces to enable the CLT to be maneuvered through the building. Xylotek installed a mobile gantry crane system to enact 6 lifts, fixing the elements into place. The pre-assembling of each section reduced the risk of working at height.  Xylotek also helped with the steel setting out on the scissor staircase in order to ensure the timber elements married-up with the steel components.