Many modernist architects are interested in lightness, and one way to lighten a steel balustrade is to substitute stretched wires for solid rails. There are many examples; this early one is a stair in the Alianza Francesa in Mexico City, designed by Enrique Norten of TEN Arquitectos in 1990-92. Unlike Meier and Stern, Norten dramatizes the way the balustrade is constructed, accentuating the hardware and connections. The turnbuckles needed to keep the wires taut are part of the techno-deco scheme. The stanchions, at right angles to the slope of the stair stringer, are an affectation popular in the '90s.