A Massive Forged Railing (BWZ23)

BWZ23 is extremely massive: thick materials and a wealth of scrolls and medallions follow a flight of brick-red steps in the photo.

We make it to any size and adapt it to any stairs or balcony.

Built around an entrance landing

BWZ23 was made for an entrance with a landing that changes direction several times. The handrail had to run in one continuous line around every corner, so the railing was designed as a system of posts, frames and infill fields, each segment following from the geometry of the steps. Strong vertical divisions carry the handrail, and between them a lattice structure with hand-forged scrolls fills each span, arranged symmetrically around a central medallion.

Mass chosen for stiffness

This is a railing of decided mass. The sections were chosen for durability and rigidity rather than for effect: an outdoor railing on steps is leaned on, pushed and knocked every day, and it has to stay straight for decades. The elements were heated and shaped in the fire, then fitted one by one to the exact angle of each turn, because a railing that changes direction is only as good as its corners.

Work on a railing like this runs in stages: the load-bearing posts first, then the forging of the ornament, then fitting everything together on the steps and protecting the surface for outdoor use.

For brick, stone and concrete steps

In the photo the railing follows brick-red steps, but the posts can be fixed into stone, concrete or tiled stairs, either from the top or from the side of the step. Side fixing leaves the full tread free and keeps water away from the anchor points, which is why we often recommend it outdoors. Similar railings for porches and balconies are part of our exterior wrought iron railings.