The Culture of Storey Design

Have you ever noticed that different countries have different ways of labeling floors while traveling abroad?

People living in the US may take it for granted:

The floor that touches the ground is labeled as 1F.

In airports, however, you may encounter the ground floor marked as "G" (Ground Floor).

In fact, the labeling system is the US standard.

In the European standard (EU), the ground floor is labeled as "0F," equivalent to our 1F.

This means the same floor in European countries will appear to have one less number compared to the US system.

Here's a visual explanation of the difference between EU and US floor labeling systems.

EU Standard (EU) vs. US Standard (US)

A floor plan photographed during a Netherlands trip.

The world is divided into European (EU) standards, American (US) standards, and hybrid types.

The following table lists the countries that use European standards, American standards, or hybrid types.

In some cultures, such as East Asian countries, the number 4 is considered unlucky.

As a result, floor numbering may skip the 4th floor. Example: 1F, 2F, 3F, 5F, 6F.

The floor numbering of ShuangHo Hospital in Taiwan

A hybrid standard elevator in a building in Vietnam skips the 4th floor and uses the US numbering system

In some countries, there is a fear of Friday the 13th (Triskaidekaphobia), so they skip the 13th floor.

EX: 10F, 11F, 12F, 14F

Now, if it's a European standard building that considers the number 4 as unlucky, also fears Friday the 13th, and is a building with more than 15 floors, what would a smart designer like you do when faced with different cultural floor numbering systems?

Elevator floor numbers that skip 13 and any numbers containing 4