Tulip Stairs, Queen’s House, Greenwich, London. Image courtesy of @steven.maddison

When one thinks of pivotal architectural innovations, perhaps the skyscrapers of New York or the ancient pyramids of Egypt spring to mind. However, nestled in Greenwich, London, lies a marvel of design and engineering that, though subtle, played a transformative role in England's architectural narrative: The Tulip Stairs within the Queen's House.

A Dead dog, a royal apology

The Queen's House, completed in 1636, was commissioned by Anne of Denmark, the wife of James I. It was designed by the renowned architect Inigo Jones and represents one of the first examples of classical architecture in the UK. The Tulip Stairs are a significant feature of the house, being the first self-supporting spiral staircase in Britain.

The Queen's House owes its inception to a royal apology. According to popular accounts, King James I swore at his wife, Anne of Denmark, when she accidentally killed one of his favorite dogs during a hunt. As a gesture of remorse, he gifted her the plot of land upon which the Queen's House stands. She commissioned Inigo Jones to design a retreat there, but unfortunately, she died in 1619 before it was completed. It was left to Charles I's queen, Henrietta Maria, to enjoy the finished house.

Both queens were leading patrons of the arts, with interests including art, sculpture, and design. As such, The Queen's House was a royal 'House of Delights': a luxurious retreat for Kings and Queens, a place of pleasure for court favorites, and a thriving studio for artists and craftsmen.

English classical Architecture

Indigo Jones was the first English architect to study the ruins of ancient Rome first-hand. This direct exposure led him to embrace Renaissance architecture's classical proportions and harmonious geometries, heavily inspired by the works of the Venetian architect Andrea Palladio.

Palladianism, a style based on the architecture of the ancient Romans and Greeks as interpreted by Palladio, was introduced to England primarily through Jones. Before Jones' ventures to Italy, English architecture was dominated by the Tudor style, characterized by its half-timbering and intricate Gothic details. The Tulip Stairs and the entire design of the Queen's House became emblematic of this shift from Tudor Gothic to classical Renaissance in English architectural preferences., bringing to England a touch of Venetian splendor.

Queen’s House, Greenwich, London. This bright white villa was at the cutting edge of architecture and design when it was completed in the 1630s. Image courtesy of Royal Museums Greenwich

HISTORICAL BACKDROP

The Queen's House, and by extension, the Tulip Stairs, did not emerge in a vacuum. The early 17th century was a tumultuous time for England. As the monarchy and Parliament locked horns, the country was on the brink of the English Civil War. In this context, the Queen's House stood as a beacon of the Renaissance spirit, moving away from medieval norms.

At the time, the main public road from London to Dover cut right through this area of Greenwich, separating the royal hunting grounds of Greenwich Park from the Palace by the river. Jones designed the Queen's House so it would bridge over the road, creating a grand portal between park and palace. As such, the house was a physical demonstration of royal supremacy over the right of way.

Its later integration into the Royal Naval College is symbolic, linking the house's classical inspirations to Britain's emerging maritime prowess in the 17th and 18th centuries.

STAIR DESIGN

The Tulip Stairs are remarkable because they are unsupported by a central column, which was a significant architectural innovation for the time. Their cantilevered design, anchored only on one side, makes them seem almost ethereal, floating in graceful defiance of gravity.

The delicate ironwork balustrade provides not just aesthetic charm but also structural support. The design is graceful, yet robust, and the stairs appear to float as they spiral upwards. It's also notable that the staircase forms a perfect ellipse.

The Tulip Stairs are so named because of the floral patterns (which resemble tulips) on the wrought-iron balustrades, although some suggest the flowers might actually be fleurs-de-lis.

On the one hand, the Dutch Tulipmania of the early 17th century coincides with the period in which the Queen's House was being built. Tulips had been recently introduced to Europe from the Ottoman Empire and had become a huge fad, especially in the Netherlands. Their popularity was so immense that they were even used as a form of currency at one point.

Tulips can symbolize perfect love, immortality, wealth, and status. Given that the Queen's House was commissioned by Anne of Denmark, wife of James I, as a “house of delight” for the queen’s pleasure and the site of court entertainment, using tulips as a decorative motif would have been quite apt.

On the other hand, Anne of Denmark did not live to see the house and stairs completed. The project was left to Queen Henrietta Maria, a French princess by birth, who became the queen consort of King Charles I of England (son of James I). Being of French origin, Queen Henrietta Maria had grown up around the fleur-de-lys, which was the royal symbol of France and her personal badge. If the designs on the 'Tulip Stairs' were inspired by the fleur-de-lys, then this could be a nod to Queen Henrietta Maria's French heritage.

The start of the Civil War in 1642, however, meant that Henrietta Maria had little time to enjoy the House she had helped to complete. In 1644 she escaped to France; her husband Charles I was executed in 1649.

LEGACY

Jones' impact through the Queen's House was profound. It wasn't just a building; it was an architectural manifesto. The house's classical lines and symmetrical balance became a trendsetter, shaping English country house architecture for centuries. Moreover, features like the Tulip Stairs highlighted that aesthetic beauty and structural robustness could indeed coexist.