Glass staircase not dress friendly
A glass staircase is causing women to rethink taking the stairs.
June 9th, 2011
08:44 PM ET

Glass staircase not dress friendly

For years, women across America have dealt with glass ceilings. But now, women in Ohio have a new problem - glass floors.

A $105 million courthouse opened in Franklin County, Ohio, on Monday, but the builders seemed to have forgotten one thing - the bottom of the stairs, reports affiliate 10TV. The staircase is made of glass.

Dress wearers need to avoid taking the stairs, according to Franklin County Judge Julie Lynch, who wears dresses under her robes almost every day.

"I wear dresses because that's my personal choice," Lynch told 10TV. "When you stand under the stairwell, you can see right up through them.”

She speculates that men, who didn’t take half the population into account, designed the stairs.

Attorney Lori Johnson was startled by the transparent stairs. She worries not only about stares, but also how many cell phones have cameras attached.

“The next thing you know, you’re on the internet,” Johnson said, according to 10TV. “It sounds like a lawsuit in the making.”

While security guards warn women about taking the stairs, it seems most are just hoping people will be mature about the situation.

"They hope people will be mature? That's not a solution," Lynch said to 10TV. "If we had mature people that didn't violate the law, we wouldn't have this building."

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Filed under: Architecture • Courts • Justice • Ohio
soundoff (740 Responses)
  1. Former cleaning person

    Forget the dress aspect, I'd hate to be the person cleaning the stairs. Glass is a b!tch to keep clean

    June 10, 2011 at 4:52 am | Report abuse |
  2. Hoofleau

    The architect messed up big time and so did the people who approved his plan. Duh?

    June 10, 2011 at 4:57 am | Report abuse |
  3. kateykelley

    What were they thinking? Dumb in so many ways....

    June 10, 2011 at 4:58 am | Report abuse |
  4. BD70

    What about those of us who are afraid of heights? I couldn't use those stairs even in pants. Going up and no solid step underneath would make my head spin.

    June 10, 2011 at 4:58 am | Report abuse |
    • David

      Ever heard of an elevator?

      June 10, 2011 at 5:07 am | Report abuse |
  5. PhoenixAlly

    They should put mirrors on the bottom of the stairs facing downward. It would maintain the general architectural feel while blocking the view.

    June 10, 2011 at 4:59 am | Report abuse |
    • jeff

      You are a genius!!! I would be surprised if they didn't use your idea.

      June 10, 2011 at 5:05 am | Report abuse |
    • David

      That would ruin the effect. Going up and down the stairs you would not be able to see through the steps. Might as well be solid. I think this is a beautiful work and people need to stop looking for crap to whine about. If you wear a dress, then take the elevator. I am sure most the people in that building are too lazy to walk up steps anyway.

      June 10, 2011 at 5:10 am | Report abuse |
  6. studdmuffins

    People who are there to see others who have been arrested will be getting arrested themselves. Interesting.

    June 10, 2011 at 5:00 am | Report abuse |
  7. Russ

    an easy fix –etch the glass with acid , to "Frost" the glass .

    June 10, 2011 at 5:03 am | Report abuse |
  8. David

    Oh gees. People will find anything to gripe about wont they. What's next? Going to complain the tile floors are too shinny and can reflect your underwear. If your concerned someone my see your hello kitty, then take the elevator. I am surer there is one near by.

    June 10, 2011 at 5:06 am | Report abuse |
    • xrk9854

      Typical male response. Think, would you want your wife or girlfriend exposed that way? How about your mother?

      June 10, 2011 at 6:20 am | Report abuse |
  9. matti

    Yeah but who it goes both ways. Everyone can see you standing under the stairs looking up!

    June 10, 2011 at 5:09 am | Report abuse |
  10. Eddie in Austria

    I'm glad that not only the architects in Austria are so – stupid is maybe a too strong word. It may look good, but they just don't think about everyday use. We had the same thing over here in a police headquarters. The same problem – they even had the internal walkways in glass. Not only is it a problem for women with skirts – there are also people who are afraid of hights – for them such buildings can be terrifying! (And we live in a country with many mountains!)

    June 10, 2011 at 5:13 am | Report abuse |
  11. MarkV

    Use one-way glass, like they have in interrogation rooms. You could still see through looking down, but people under would see a mirrored or black view

    June 10, 2011 at 5:29 am | Report abuse |
  12. Scott

    Why no hoopla about Apple? They've had the exact same thing in their stores for years.

    June 10, 2011 at 5:31 am | Report abuse |
  13. Pacoatemiami

    Frost the glass. Problem solved.

    June 10, 2011 at 5:32 am | Report abuse |
  14. American Rebel

    If the steps themselves aren't made of glass why is this an issue? News leak all stairs that do not have bottoms to them you can see right up. Also you know the escalators at malls (the moving stairs)? Well there's a reason why men sit on the benches facing them... Those glass walls allow people to see straight up women's dresses and it's been around for years. These stairs are nothing new... get over it.

    June 10, 2011 at 5:35 am | Report abuse |
  15. Andy

    Wooohooo! Way to go. They should have glass walls too – changing rooms, rest rooms et all!! (Sarcasm not perverted)

    June 10, 2011 at 5:40 am | Report abuse |
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