Escadaria Selaron, Rio’s tiled staircase between Lapa and Santa Teresa
Published on 08/21/2026 at 10:01 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Escadaria Selaron in Rio de Janeiro is a long urban staircase transformed into a continuous mosaic, linking the neighbourhoods of Lapa and Santa Teresa with ceramic tiles gathered from around the world. Created and constantly reworked by the Chilean-born artist Jorge Selarón from the early 1990s until 2013, the steps form a single artwork that climbs the hillside in central Brazil and has become a landmark of the city’s street landscape.
A hillside of tiles and colour
Escadaria Selaron occupies a steep stretch of Rua Manuel Carneiro between Rua Joaquim Silva in Lapa and Pinto Martins Street in Santa Teresa, using the existing stairway as its base.Running from Joaquim Silva street and Pinto Martins street the staircase rises through central Rio de Janeiro with a rhythm of repeated risers and landings. The work is built on concrete steps, but every visible surface is faced with ceramic pieces: tiles, plates and mirrors arranged in tightly packed panels that together cover more than 100 m (328 ft) of stairway length.over 125 metres long with 215 steps
Viewed from below, the staircase forms a corridor of colour framed by low walls on either side, with tiled panels climbing above the handrail level and continuing into the facades of adjoining buildings. The lower flights feature large areas in the green, yellow and blue of the Brazilian flag, while sections further up mix deep reds and other strong tones, creating bands and clusters that hold the eye as the steps rise. Because the tiles differ in size, thickness and finish, the surfaces catch light in varied ways, giving the staircase a textured appearance along its entire height.
Jorge Selarón’s long-running artwork
The mosaic staircase is directly tied to the life and work of Jorge Selarón, a painter and ceramist born in Chile who settled in Rio de Janeiro in the 1980s.Jorge Selarón was a Chilean painter and ceramist that moved to Rio de Janeiro in 1983 In 1990 he began covering the steps outside his house with ceramic pieces, gradually expanding the decorated area until the entire stairway between Lapa and Santa Teresa was faced with tiles.Constructed 1990–2013 The project continued for more than two decades, with the artist adding, replacing and rearranging tiles as part of a work he referred to as a tribute to Brazilian people.
Selarón initially worked with colours taken from the Brazilian flag, but the staircase soon incorporated tiles from many countries as visitors and friends brought pieces to be included in the mosaic.It has over 2,000 tiles chosen from around the world in the colors of the Brazilian flag Panels along the walls show place names, flags, animals, abstract patterns and portraits, reflecting the diverse origins of the material. Some tiles repeat motifs associated with Selarón himself, including stylised figures and pregnant women, weaving elements of his personal iconography into the wider assemblage of global designs.
Details to look for on the steps
Escadaria Selaron rewards close viewing as much as the overall perspective from the street below. Each riser carries a row of tiles, many of them standard square pieces and others irregular fragments fitted together, while the side walls are arranged as larger compositions with framed sections and clusters. Travellers walking up the staircase encounter tiles bearing names of cities and regions, coats of arms, sports emblems, and decorative patterns from several continents, turning the climb into a sequence of small discoveries.
Because the work grew around an existing thoroughfare, Escadaria Selaron integrates everyday elements of the city into its design. Doorways open directly onto tiled landings, balconies overlook sections of the mosaic, and street lamps stand against ceramic backgrounds. The stairway’s position between Lapa and Santa Teresa means that at its lower end, the view back down the steps takes in the urban fabric near the arches of Lapa, while the upper portions rise towards streets lined with older houses typical of Santa Teresa.The stairway is located between Joaquim Silva Street in Lapa and Pinto Martins Street in Santa Teresa
Visiting Escadaria Selaron: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Escadaria Selaron stands in central Rio de Janeiro between the Lapa and Santa Teresa neighbourhoods, on Rua Manuel Carneiro above Rua Joaquim Silva in Lapa.
- The staircase climbs a noticeable gradient with many steps, and the tiled surfaces on the risers and walls require attention underfoot and when pausing on the landings.
- The area around the lower end of the staircase lies close to the Arcos da Lapa, with streets that carry traffic and other city activity alongside the mosaic stairway.
- Portuguese is the official language in Brazil 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 located in Rio de Janeiro?
Escadaria Selaron stands between the Lapa and Santa Teresa neighbourhoods in central Rio de Janeiro, following Rua Manuel Carneiro between Rua Joaquim Silva and Pinto Martins Street.
What should travellers expect when visiting the staircase?
Travellers encounter a long flight of urban steps faced with ceramic tiles, with panels of mosaics on the side walls and views towards Lapa and the streets of Santa Teresa.
What makes Escadaria Selaron distinctive among urban stairways?
The staircase combines an everyday thoroughfare with a large-scale artwork, using tiles collected from many countries to turn the entire length into a single mosaic created by Jorge Selarón.
