The communal stair is one of the characteristic features of Edinburgh tenement architecture, providing shared access from the street to individual flats arranged across several storeys.
Traditional Edinburgh stairs can incorporate stone steps and landings, timber handrails, cast-iron balustrades, decorative plasterwork, tiled entrances and large windows or rooflights designed to bring daylight into the centre of the building.
For renovation projects within a tenement, the communal stair is important even when no work is being carried out directly to it. Contractors may need to move materials, tools and waste through shared areas while protecting existing finishes and maintaining safe access for neighbours.
Alterations directly affecting a communal stair, entrance or other shared part of a tenement can involve additional ownership, building-standard and heritage considerations, so these areas should be assessed carefully before work begins.
