Spiral Staircase at Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art | Limited Edition of 10
Architectural Spiral Staircase from the Chicago MCA
Standing beneath this staircase inside the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, I felt like I was inside a sculpture rather than a building. The lines weren’t just structural—they were sculptural, intentional, cinematic. What you’re looking at is the underside of the main stairwell, shot from the ground floor directly upward. From this angle, the design resolves into something strikingly symbolic—like an eye, hovering in space.
This isn’t some trick of editing. It’s how the architecture was built—layered steel, poured concrete, crisp edges, and soft curves all spiralling upward in perfect symmetry. It’s rare to find a structure that feels this complete from every angle. Even rarer to find one that holds together when flattened into two dimensions. But this one does.
The Museum of Contemporary Art is full of progressive work—bold installations, provocative pieces—but this staircase holds its own. It’s part function, part feature, part optical illusion. The more you stare at it, the more it starts to shift: is it an eye? A ripple? A lens? The design pulls you in, holds your gaze, and gives you something timeless to sit with.
I photographed this as part of a broader series on modern structures—real places that flirt with abstraction without losing their grounding in everyday use. This is architecture with personality. And in print form, it becomes more than a staircase. It becomes a centrepiece.
If this piece speaks to you, you might enjoy the rest of my Architectural Photography Collection—a series built on lines, form, and moments of perfect design.
© Dan Kosmayer, 2024
Limited Edition of 10
This photograph is released as a signed and numbered limited edition of only 10 prints in total across all available sizes combined—not 10 prints in each size.
Every size is drawn from the same edition. Whether the photograph is purchased as a small print or at the largest available size, it uses one of the 10 edition numbers.
I personally sign and number each print on the reverse, and every print is accompanied by a signed Certificate of Authenticity recording its title, dimensions, medium, edition number, and date of issue.
Once all 10 prints have been sold, the edition will be permanently closed. No additional numbered editions of the photograph will be produced in another size or format.
Premium Archival Fine Art Prints
I personally produce every photograph using archival pigment inks on premium archival paper with a subtle luster finish.
The paper provides rich tonal depth, excellent fine-detail reproduction, and a refined surface that reduces distracting glare under normal indoor lighting. It is especially well suited to both color and black-and-white photography.
Each photograph is sold as an unframed fine art print, allowing it to be framed according to the collector’s space and personal style.
Before a print leaves my studio, I carefully inspect it for color, tonal accuracy, surface quality, and overall presentation. Nothing is outsourced, and every finished print passes through my hands.
Worldwide Delivery Included
Every print is personally produced, inspected, signed, numbered, and carefully packaged by me at my studio in Haliburton, Ontario, Canada.
Worldwide delivery is included in the listed price, so there is no additional shipping charge added during checkout. I select an appropriate tracked delivery service based on the destination, print size, and current shipping requirements.
Delivery times vary by destination and may be affected by customs processing or circumstances beyond my control.
Because I also travel extensively to create new photographic work, studio dispatch may occasionally be delayed while I am away. When that happens, the print will be produced and shipped as soon as I return to the studio.
