A spectacular staircase can transform even the most average building, and this year we've seen them in a huge variety of materials and sizes. Dezeen editor Anna Winston chooses 10 of the best from 2015.

Ribbon Chapel by Hiroshi Nakamura

One of the most popular projects of the year, this Japanese wedding chapel is wrapped with two spiral staircases that meet to form a rooftop lookout point.
The 15.4-metre-tall structure designed by Hiroshi Nakamura is named for its twisting staircases, which cross paths at several points to provide support for each other. Find out more about Ribbon Chapel »

House in Ontinyent by Borja García

A concrete staircase with no balustrade ascends through this minimal house, which was added to a converted textile factory in Valencia, Spain. The house was designed by local firm Borja Garcia Architects as a home for José Gandía-Blasco, director of the Spanish furniture brand Gandia Blasco, which now uses the factory as its head office. Find out more about House in Ontinyent »

CanopyStair by Thor ter Kulve and Rob McIntyre

Created by two gradates from London's Royal College of Art, CanopyStair straps around the trunk of a tree to form a spiral staircase, allowing climbers to reach the upper branches.
The modular wooden platforms are made from curved birch plywood, typically used to build small aircraft, and are bound to the tree using adjustable woven ratchet straps at staggered heights and orientations. Find out more about CanopySta...