Piano Stairs

CATEGORY: Health

Piano Stairs

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What's the next step? Up. Piano Stairs is a project designed to promote the well-being of America and its people. No more boring and tiring stairs. Enjoy the piano tunes as you climb up the stairs.

Standings & Awards

5 out of 422 in North America
8 out of 284 in Health
15 out of 935 in Design
17 out of 992 in Charitable
43 out of 4003 Overall

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VOTES

Piano Stairs @ ASU

Taking steps toward fitness and encouraging sustainability.

In a building where both stairs and escalators (or the elevators) are available... What would be your preference of transportation? Majority of the pedestrians would prefer to use the escalator, but what if each step of the stair was replaced with a giant piano key?

What is Piano Stairs?

The original Piano Stairs was introduced by Volkswagen as part of their fun theory. It was executed in Stockholm, Sweden in October 2009 as a fun musical experience that encouraged the crowd to use the stairs in preference to the escalator or the elevator. Installed at a subway stairwell, the Piano Stairs succeeded in attracting 66% more pedestrians to use the stairs instead of using the escalator. The total expense to complete the project was approximately $50,000 and the total installation time was only a day. Since 2009, there has been many Piano Stairs installed all around the world except North America.

Did you know...

You can burn up to 7 times more calories per minute walking up the stairs than taking the elevator?
A typical person can lose about 2.5 pounds a year by using the stairs five minutes a day, five days a week?
8 flights of stairs a day could reduce your death rate by 32%?

Mission:

Suggested by Jonce Walker, the Sustainability Manager at Maricopa County, our mission is to redesign a boring set of stairs into an entertaining, inexpensive set of Piano Stairs at the Maricopa County Administration Building located in Downtown Phoenix, Arizona in order to encourage employees and visitors to take the stairs as opposed to the elevator.

Why?

To promote fitness
To promote art
To bring awareness to the issue of sustainability

Piano Stairs in Germany, New Zealand, Australia. Why not North America?

FIVE PROJECT QUESTIONS Required (60 - 90 minutes)

1. What is your innovation?

An interactive set of musical stairs that play piano tunes with each step. Similar to the idea of giant walking piano, Piano Stairs will allow people to play musical notes while walking up the staircase. It's a fun way to attract the public to use the stairs instead of the escalator. We want to spread the word on conservation of energy; "Burn Calories, Not Electricity" - New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

2. Who gains the most?

Our project targets everyone. We want to promote the use of stairs for the benefit of individuals and our society as a whole. Individuals will be able to experience an interactive staircase while burning 7 times more calories than taking the escalator or the elevator. In addition, our society will learn to conserve energy for a friendlier environment.

4. What is your success?

Within the next 12 months, we expect to witness an increase in the use of stairs and an update on the issue of sustainability. Three years to five years from today, many states in America will be influenced to install Piano Stairs in their selected location. Who knows? Maybe an upgraded version of Piano Stairs will be introduced in the upcoming years.