Why the outside Staircases?

[roadman65]

https://www.flickr.com/photos/54480415@N08/53315863276/in/photostream/
Why the outside stairs for emergency exits?  I noticed that some, like IKEA, rather have an outside staircase instead of inside stairwells with smoke doors for emergency access to the ground floor or outside the building.

Does this have other benefits besides compromising the little amount of square feet needed to sacrifice inside the building for a stairwell?

[kalvado]

I suspect this an adaptation of a standard and otherwise working project to some local code requirements.
It is usually discussed in the context of taller apartment buildings,  where "at least 2 exits" makes for building plans from Europe to be unacceptable in US.

[Hobart]

My four story apartment building has an external fire escape in the back. It's a very old building, so it was either put on well after the building was constructed to meet changing code standards, or was put on the outside because they valued the interior room that much.

It extends all the way to the ground, so I use it more than the front door, because most of my destinations are on the side of the building with the fire escape.

[Scott5114]

If the jurisdiction in question assesses taxes based on occupiable square feet, it would also make sense to shift emergency exit infrastructure outside, so as to make the most of what you're being charged for. I'm not sure if Johnson County is such a jurisdiction or not, but I would expect property taxes there to be quite high.

[kkt]

It might also be a ventilation issue.  An inside staircase could fill with smoke, an outside staircase probably not.

[kalvado]

It might also be a ventilation issue.  An inside staircase could fill with smoke, an outside staircase probably not.

I had an impression that is thoroughly addressed in building codes. Stairs are a very important part of fire safety scenarios, yet not many buildings have exterior stairs

[Road Hog]

Exterior fire escape staircases seem like an outdated design feature and yet they make the most sense. I'm guessing the movement away from them are for several reasons, mostly that they're not aesthetic and they scream "Big City East Coast."

[Rothman]

It might also be a ventilation issue.  An inside staircase could fill with smoke, an outside staircase probably not.

Meh.  My most recent office buildings have interior, cinder-block staircases to some sort of fire rating meant to ensure safety long enough to evacuate.  Code-mandated.

[Brandon]

If the jurisdiction in question assesses taxes based on occupiable square feet, it would also make sense to shift emergency exit infrastructure outside, so as to make the most of what you're being charged for. I'm not sure if Johnson County is such a jurisdiction or not, but I would expect property taxes there to be quite high.

Not necessarily.  It may be mandated by local fire codes, especially when there is a lot of potentially flammable stuff inside.  You see this most often with movie theaters.

[jeffandnicole]

In Ikea's case, there could be a few reasons.

The building used to be a warehouse or some other building where an interior staircase wasn't necessary or needed.

As mentioned up-thread updated building and fire codes.

There could be interior staircases, and this is just an additional staircase.

Ikea wants to make their products affordable, and an outside staircase may go along the lines of we're saving money by building a metal staircase outdoors for all to see.

[SectorZ]

https://maps.app.goo.gl/9icQn2z1fWnPK96d6

Something similar at the Pheasant Lane Mall in Nashua NH. When this was a Lechmere, the staircase down was open. When Target took over, they put it into this current enclosure.

[kphoger]

In Ikea's case, there could be a few reasons.

The building used to be a warehouse or some other building where an interior staircase wasn't necessary or needed.

...

For what it's worth, that IKEA was new construction.  The previous building was torn down and this one was built in its place.