Stainless Steel Awards 2008

Merit Award - Projects Category

Steel Solutions
Project : Stainless Steel & glass staircase

Stellenbosch based company, VF Steel Solutions, has earned a merit award in the project category at this year’s Stainless Steel Awards for a unique steel and glass staircase. The company, which specialises in manufacturing once-off products, manufactured and installed two staircases at Pearl Valley Golf Estates.

The client, Rizzy Majid, initially commissioned VF Steel Solutions to build just the frames for the staircases, but as the project progressed Steel Solutions earned full responsibility for the staircases. One staircase extends from the basement to the ground floor, while the second connects the ground floor with the first floor. The staircases were based on the client’s design and compliment the aesthetic of the building. Majid says he stood back with a tear in his eye on completion: “This is exactly how I imagined it would look,” he said.

Each staircase, at full extension, has an approximate length of 7m. The primary challenge that faced the designers was curving the square beam, which is the primary support for each staircase. “It would have been easier if the beam was cylindrical, but the design called for a square beam,” says Gerhard Human, the owner of VF Steel Solutions. The beam, which is made of four separate sheets of stainless steel, was rolled and twisted in three dimensions without being stretched, shrunk or forced into place.

Stainless steel and glass were chosen for this particular project because the materials complement the clean lines and reflective surfaces found in the rest of the building. “We specialise in stainless steel,” says Human. The company has created products for a variety of clients across a wide range of industries: from setting up wine cellars and manufacturing stainless steel electric panels, to producing boat accessories or, as in this case, luxurious staircases. Steel Solution’s disparate range of products is a testament to both their adaptability as a company, and the versatility of stainless steel.

Dawie Prins established the company in 1996, under the name: Vino Frutta Stainless Steel. Although the company initially operated as a stainless steel manufacturer for the canning industry, it quickly gained a reputation for manufacturing a variety of high quality stainless steel products. The company changed its name to VF Steel Solutions, a name that accurately communicates the type of products they currently offer.

VF Steel Solutions is committed to providing products that satisfy their customer’s needs. From complex steel products for multinational corporations to an exquisite pair of staircases for a private client, VF Steel Solutions delivers.