Escadaria Selaron: Rio de Janeiro’s tiled staircase between Lapa and Santa Teresa
Published on 08/27/2026 at 19:43 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
In central Rio de Janeiro, Escadaria Selaron turns an everyday city staircase into an open-air artwork of coloured tiles that climbs between the neighbourhoods of Lapa and Santa Teresa. Created and constantly reworked by Chilean-born artist Jorge Selarón from the early 1990s until his death in 2013, the staircase is lined with ceramics from Brazil and far beyond, giving travellers a concentrated slice of the city’s visual energy in a single urban ascent.Chile?born artist Jorge Selarón
A city staircase turned into mosaic art
Escadaria Selaron occupies a flight of public steps officially recorded as Rua Manuel Carneiro, linking streets such as Joaquim Silva on the Lapa side to the hill of Santa Teresa above.Public staircase connecting Santa Teresa and Lapa The core structure is a concrete stairway, but almost every visible surface has been covered with tiles and fragments of ceramic, arranged as a large mosaic that stretches along the risers and side walls. The staircase extends for around 125 m (410 ft) as it climbs from the lower streets towards the crest of the hill, giving the tiled surfaces room to unfold in long bands of colour and pattern.125 metres of decorated steps
The steps themselves are faced with bright ceramics, many in the greens, yellows and blues associated with the Brazilian flag, while strong reds appear frequently along the way.Colourful staircase surfaces Vertical bands of tiles form patterns and sometimes spell out words, while panels on the flanking walls hold larger compositions or framed groups of tiles from particular places. Because the staircase remains a piece of the city’s street network rather than a sealed monument, the artwork wraps around doorways and follows the geometry of the original structure, making its tiled skin part of the lived fabric of the neighbourhood.
Jorge Selarón’s evolving tribute in tiles
The architectural base of Escadaria Selaron predates the artwork, but the transformation into a tiled mosaic began when Jorge Selarón started decorating the worn steps in 1990.Decoration begun in 1990 Over the years he collected tiles from many sources, including pieces sent by visitors, and incorporated them into the staircase, replacing earlier elements as new ceramics arrived. Accounts of the project describe thousands of tiles on the steps and surrounding walls, drawn from well over one hundred countries, giving the artwork a global reach while rooted firmly in Rio.Tiles gathered from many countries
Selarón framed the work explicitly as a homage to Brazil, and Brazilian motifs appear frequently, from flag colours to local scenes depicted on individual tiles.Homage to the Brazilian people At the same time, the inclusion of ceramics from distant places and visitors’ contributions gives the staircase an outward?looking character: walking up the steps means passing depictions of cities, symbols and patterns from across the world alongside images of Brazilian landscapes and people. Selarón continued working on the staircase into the early twenty?first century, and the project remained closely associated with his name after his death in 2013.Work continuing until his death in 2013
Between Lapa, Santa Teresa and the Arcos da Lapa
Escadaria Selaron occupies a central position in Rio de Janeiro’s historic core, straddling the boundary between the bohemian streets of Lapa and the hillside district of Santa Teresa.Location between Lapa and Santa Teresa On the lower side, the entrance near Rua Joaquim Silva lies within walking distance of the white Arcos da Lapa aqueduct and performance venues such as Sala Cecília Meireles, placing the staircase amid a cluster of cultural landmarks. From above, the upper flights lead towards Santa Teresa’s streets and the convent that gave one of the staircase’s older names, Escadaria do Convento de Santa Teresa.Escadaria do Convento de Santa Teresa
The tiled risers and walls frame views back towards central Rio as the staircase climbs, with glimpses of the surrounding buildings and overhead structures appearing above the mosaic bands. Because the site remains part of an inhabited neighbourhood, doors, windows and balconies open onto the stairway at various points, and everyday circulation mixes with visitors pausing to look at specific tiles or photograph the patterns. The combination of steep gradient, dense urban setting and layered artwork gives Escadaria Selaron a distinctive character among Rio’s many viewpoints: rather than a single lookout platform, it offers a sequence of landings and angles on the city as the steps progress.
Visiting Escadaria Selaron: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Escadaria Selaron sits between Lapa and Santa Teresa in central Rio de Janeiro, with the lower entrance near Rua Joaquim Silva and close to the Arcos da Lapa aqueduct.
- The staircase climbs a noticeable gradient over many steps, with tiled risers and narrow landings; walking the full length involves a sustained ascent on hard surfaces.
- Several Rio de Janeiro metro stations, including Cinelândia and Glória, lie within walking distance of the staircase along city streets, giving straightforward public transport access.
- The official language is Portuguese and the currency is the Brazilian real.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Escadaria Selaron
Where is Escadaria Selaron in Rio de Janeiro?
Escadaria Selaron is a tiled staircase between the Lapa and Santa Teresa neighbourhoods in central Rio de Janeiro, officially recorded on Rua Manuel Carneiro.
What should visitors expect on a visit?
Visitors encounter a long urban staircase faced with colourful tiles on steps and walls, with a steady climb, viewpoints over the surrounding streets and everyday neighbourhood life alongside.
What makes Escadaria Selaron distinctive among Rio’s landmarks?
The staircase is distinctive for its transformation from ordinary city steps into a large mosaic artwork of thousands of tiles collected from Brazil and numerous other countries and assembled by Jorge Selarón.
