As the saying would suggest: If it looks like a roller-coaster, loops like a roller-coaster and thrills you like a roller-coaster then it must be….

A staircase.

Wait. What!?#$!?@! That’s right! I was surprised as you all are that the “Tiger & Turtle – Magic Mountain” is in fact a long and winding, endless flight of stairs designed by the architects Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth. OK yes- technically you cannot walk along the loop unless earth loses gravity- but your eye is not stopped when following the complete circuit.

And this is no optical illusion- it is similar scale to that of an actual rollercoaster- well its certainly big. With 144×121 foot base and 68 feet construction height the sculpture is not only one of the largest in Germany, but also a masterpiece of engineering. The only difference is you get a workout and you don’t feel nauseous! These of course- being good things.

I wish the world was filled with more architecture like this. The kind that exists solely for pure enjoyment- its only function is to enhance the user experience of a view and its form makes the skyline of the area more beautiful.

All images via press release: The large-­‐scale sculpture “Tiger & Turtle – Magic Mountain“ by Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth, photograph by : Mutter Genth © Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth “Tiger & Turtle- Magic Mountain”, Landmarke Angerpark, City of Duisburg. A project of the cultural capita of Europe. RUHR.2010.