What is the Escherian Stairwell?
The Escherian Stairwell is one of the internet’s most famous urban legends. Inspired by the “impossible” lithographs of artist M.C. Escher, the myth describes a staircase that allows a person to climb or descend indefinitely in a continuous loop without ever changing elevation.
🕒 Origins of the RIT Stairwell Myth
The legend began in 2013 as a viral video project titled “The Stairwell.” It was created by Michael Lacanilao, a filmmaker and student at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).
- The Narrative: Lacanilao presented the video as a documentary, claiming the stairs were built in 1968 by a fictional Filipino architect named Rafael Nelson Aboganda.
- The Viral Effect: Because the video used a “found footage” style, millions of viewers believed the stairwell was a hidden architectural marvel on the RIT campus.
🎥 How the Illusion Works: Behind the Scenes
Since the laws of physics make a real infinite loop impossible, the video relied on creative filmmaking techniques rather than actual construction:
- Perspective Manipulation: Using specific camera angles to hide where the actors were actually moving.
- Seamless Editing: Cutting the film at precise moments when a person passed behind a wall or door to reset their position.
- The “Schüfftan Process” Influence: Using mirrors and forced perspective to blend two different locations into one.
Note: The concept is a direct homage to Escher’s 1953 lithograph, Relativity, which depicts a world where gravity operates in three different directions simultaneously.
🔍 The Truth: Does the Escherian Stairwell Exist?
No. The Escherian Stairwell does not exist.
Despite the convincing footage and the thousands of tourists who have searched for it at the Rochester Institute of Technology, the project was an elaborate hoax. It was designed as a “social experiment” to demonstrate how easily digital media can distort reality and how quickly misinformation can spread when it is backed by a compelling story.
- Architect: Rafael Nelson Aboganda is a fictional character.
- Location: RIT has confirmed multiple times that no such structure exists on their campus.
Final Thoughts on Visual Illusions
While you cannot walk the Escherian Stairwell in real life, its legacy lives on as a masterclass in visual storytelling. It remains a primary example of how our brains can be tricked by perspective and how the internet can turn a clever film project into a modern-day myth.
If you are looking for real-world “impossible” designs, you can explore Penrose Stairs diagrams or visit museums dedicated to optical illusions, which use similar mathematics to trick the human eye.
