Santiago Calatrava

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church finally reopens at the World Trade Center

All photos © Alan Karchmer for Santiago Calatrava unless otherwise noted

December 8, 2022

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church finally reopens at the World Trade Center

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The only house of worship that was totally destroyed during the September 11 attacks finally reopened to the public this week. Designed by Santiago Calatrava, the new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, now located at 130 Liberty Street, resumed regular parish life with a prayer service on Monday. Inspired by Byzantine architecture, Calatrava designed a facade that appears to glow from within; the church will be illuminated every night as a beacon of hope at the site.
More here
World Trade Center’s St. Nicholas National Shrine will be lit for the first time this week

Rendering courtesy of Friends of St. Nicholas

September 8, 2021

World Trade Center’s St. Nicholas National Shrine will be lit for the first time this week

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On September 11, 2001, a Greek Orthodox church on Cedar Street was destroyed, resulting in plans to rebuild the structure at a new location on Liberty Street. Construction finally began on this new Santiago Calatrava-designed church, St. Nicholas National Shrine, in 2015, and though there were some hurdles along the way, the domed building will finally be lit for the first time. The church will commence the 20th-anniversary remembrance of 9/11 with a memorial service and the inaugural lighting of the Saint Nicholas National Shrine this Friday evening.
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After original church was destroyed on 9/11, construction restarts at new St. Nicholas Shrine

All photos courtesy of Governor Andrew Cuomo/Flickr

August 3, 2020

After original church was destroyed on 9/11, construction restarts at new St. Nicholas Shrine

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It's been nearly 20 years since St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine was lost in the attacks on 9/11, but today, Governor Cuomo announced the restart of construction on the new Santiago Calatrava-designed church. Work originally began in 2015, but stalled in late 2017 when the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America ran out of funding.
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Construction of World Trade Center’s St. Nicholas Shrine will resume

The site in December 2018, Photo by Tdorante10 via Wikimedia Commons

January 3, 2020

Construction of World Trade Center’s St. Nicholas Shrine will resume

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It's been more than two years since reconstruction work on the St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church at the World Trade Center stopped due to lack of funding, but the project is finally set to resume. On Thursday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced plans to form a new non-profit organization with an independent 13-member board—the Friends of St. Nicholas—who will oversee the remaining construction. The expected opening is slated for 2022.
More info
The retractable skylight at the World Trade Center Oculus will reopen on 9/11
September 10, 2018

The retractable skylight at the World Trade Center Oculus will reopen on 9/11

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The skylight at the World Trade Center Oculus will reopen on September 11 at exactly 10:28 a.m., the same time the North Tower fell in 2001. The "Way of Light," which happens every year on 9/11, will shine through the opening, bringing light to the bustling WTC transit center below. Santiago Calatrava designed the Oculus oriented in a way that allows sunlight to cross the floor, directly along the axis of the building.
Get the details
Frank Gehry and Santiago Calatrava to design Hudson Yards residential towers

Rendering of Hudson Yards. Image: Danny Forster Design Studio

February 20, 2018

Frank Gehry and Santiago Calatrava to design Hudson Yards residential towers

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Though starchitect Frank Gehry threatened to flee to France after the 2016 election, he'll likely be sticking around to design new towers at the Hudson Yards mega-development on Manhattan's west side; Gehry and fellow controversial architect Santiago Calatrava are among those chosen to work on the residential western section of Related Cos. and Oxford Properties' 28-acre complex, according to a source close to the project who spoke with the Wall Street Journal.
Find out more
25 Feet Above Street Level, World Trade Center’s Liberty Park Opens Today
June 29, 2016

25 Feet Above Street Level, World Trade Center’s Liberty Park Opens Today

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The World Trade Center's Liberty Park, the new one-acre public park at 25 feet above ground level spanning Liberty Street between West and Greenwich Streets, opens today. NYYimby reports that the park is getting the last few finishing touches in preparation for its grand opening dedication ceremony. As part of the landscape design by Joseph E. Brown of architectural and engineering firm Aecom, a 300-foot-long "living wall" composed of 826 panels of varying plant types is a highlight of the new park, which also functions as a pleasant disguise for the entrance to the WTC’s security hub that sits beneath.
More of what you'll find in the new park
Skyline Wars: Accounting for New York’s Stray Supertalls
May 11, 2016

Skyline Wars: Accounting for New York’s Stray Supertalls

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Carter Uncut brings New York City’s latest development news under the critical eye of resident architecture critic Carter B. Horsley. Ahead, Carter brings us his eighth installment of “Skyline Wars,” a series that examines the explosive and unprecedented supertall phenomenon that is transforming the city’s silhouette. In this post Carter looks at the "stray" supertalls rising in low slung neighborhoods. Most of the city’s recent supertall developments have occurred in traditional high-rise commercial districts such as the Financial District, the Plaza District, downtown Brooklyn and Long Island City. Some are also sprouting in new districts such as the Hudson Yards in far West Midtown. There are, however, some isolated "stray" supertalls that are rising up in relatively virgin tall territories, such as next to the Manhattan Bridge on the Lower East Side and Sutton Place.
read more from carter here
VIDEO: Watch the World Trade Center Oculus Get Built in 65 Seconds

Time-Lapse Courtesy of EarthCam

March 3, 2016

VIDEO: Watch the World Trade Center Oculus Get Built in 65 Seconds

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When we talk about Santiago Calatrava's $4 billion World Trade Center Transportation Hub, there's always the inevitable mention of how long (12 years!) it actually took to get the project up and running and built. Which is why this stunning time lapse is all the more fitting to mark the Hub's opening today at 3:00pm. The webcam experts at EarthCam teamed up with the project contractor, Skanska USA, to capture all 42 months (June 2011-December 2014) of construction progress for the famed and notorious winged oculus and condense it into a 65-second video.
Watch the full time lapse here
Port Authority Will Hold Opening Ceremony for WTC Transportation Hub After All

Santiago Calatrava: WTC Transportation Hub , New York (Photo: Mega Projects and Skyscrapers, via YouTube)

February 26, 2016

Port Authority Will Hold Opening Ceremony for WTC Transportation Hub After All

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On Tuesday, news broke that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey would not be holding a ribbon cutting ceremony when the World Trade Center Transportation Hub opens next week. They called Santiago Calatrava's project "a symbol of excess." Perhaps feeling the backlash from their decision, the agency sent out a press release yesterday saying that though there will still be no event to mark the opening on March 3rd at 3pm, they will hold a ceremony once the Hub is fully up and running this spring, according to the Wall Street Journal. They credit their change of heart to a desire to thank the thousands of workers who built the station. Additionally, Port Authority Chairman John Degnan said, "It will stand, along with the memorial, museum and the buildings themselves, as a tribute the resiliency of the region."
More this way
Poll: Do You Agree With the Decision to Forego a Ribbon Cutting for WTC Transportation Hub?
February 24, 2016

Poll: Do You Agree With the Decision to Forego a Ribbon Cutting for WTC Transportation Hub?

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Yesterday the Port Authority announced that they won’t be holding a ribbon cutting ceremony (or any type of celebratory event, for that matter) to mark the opening of Santiago Calatrava’s World Trade Center Transportation Hub next month. They called the Hub “a symbol of excess” and cited the exorbitant $4 billion price tag as the […]

There Will Be No Ribbon Cutting for the WTC Transportation Hub Opening

Santiago Calatrava: WTC Transportation Hub , New York (Photo: Mega Projects and Skyscrapers, via YouTube)

February 23, 2016

There Will Be No Ribbon Cutting for the WTC Transportation Hub Opening

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When the subject of Santiago Calatrava's World Trade Center Transportation Hub comes up, what's most likely to come to mind is not the flying-bird-looking architecture, but the fact that it was so incredibly delayed (it’s six years off schedule) and over-budget (final construction costs ring in around $4 billion in taxpayer dollars, twice what was projected, making it the world’s most expensive train station). The latter is not sitting well with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, who oversee the hub, as they've announced that they will not host an event to mark the opening during the first week of March, calling it "a symbol of excess," according to Politico. Similarly, Governors Christie and Cuomo, who control the agency, have declined to commemorate the opening.
Get the scoop
Confirmed: Calatrava’s WTC Transportation Hub Will Open First Week of March!

Santiago Calatrava: WTC Transportation Hub , New York (Photo: Mega Projects and Skyscrapers, via YouTube)

January 19, 2016

Confirmed: Calatrava’s WTC Transportation Hub Will Open First Week of March!

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The Port Authority has announced today in a press release that the World Trade Center Transportation Hub—anchored by architect Santiago Calatrava's Oculus–will open the first week of March. The hub will link the World Trade Center PATH station and "enable travelers to have a seamless connection with 11 New York City subway lines and the East River ferries in addition to access to PATH trains."
What about the mall?
Santiago Calatrava ‘Treated Like a Dog’ After WTC Transportation Hub Takes a Toll on His Reputation
May 20, 2015

Santiago Calatrava ‘Treated Like a Dog’ After WTC Transportation Hub Takes a Toll on His Reputation

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Starchitect Santiago Calatrava has taken a media beating for the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, the long-delayed (it's nearly six years off schedule), incredibly-over-budget (final construction costs ring in around $4 billion, twice what was projected, making it the world's most expensive train station), flying bird-looking (though some critics think it looks more like a "rack of lamb") PATH station project that he designed as part of the WTC revitalization. It was recently announced that the hub would open next month, but as it comes to a close, Santiago Calatrava is stuck at a dead end, noting that the project has taken a major toll on his reputation. After living in NYC for 12 years, Calatrava has stopped being commissioned for work in the U.S. "I could not compete because people have not asked me to compete," he told the Wall Street Journal in an interview at his Park Avenue townhouse. "I have been treated like a dog."
How did Santiago Calatrava get here?
15 Most Instagrammed Things at the New Whitney; Mapping the Highest Heels in America
May 6, 2015

15 Most Instagrammed Things at the New Whitney; Mapping the Highest Heels in America

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The #1 Instagram from the new Whitney is Glenn Ligon’s Rückenfigur. Here’s the list of the other 14. [Bedford + Bowery] Seven Santiago Calatrava sculptures are coming to Park Avenue. [Curbed] Click through some of the most stunning abandoned places in NYC. [NYP] Puerto Ricans, Nevadans, and Floridians wear the highest heels in the country. Surprisingly, New Yorkers […]

Are Taxis Safer Than Uber?; New York’s Disappearing ‘Papaya’ Hot Dog Chains
March 3, 2015

Are Taxis Safer Than Uber?; New York’s Disappearing ‘Papaya’ Hot Dog Chains

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Most major cities don’t keep comprehensive data about assaults against passengers in either Uber cars or taxis. [Atlantic] Forget manspreading, let’s talk about dreadspreading on the subway. [Gothamist] Sorry London, NYC is the world’s most economically powerful city. [CityLab] Why Is Santiago Calatrava’s World Trade Center PATH station covered in rust? [NYO] Manhattan has only eight spots […]

January 19, 2015

VIDEO: Santiago Calatrava Explains the Design of His Ground Zero Church

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Back in October, we revealed renderings for Santiago Calatrava’s Ground Zero Church, which will overlook the 9/11 Memorial. Now we have a BBC video that features Calatrava explaining his vision for Saint Nicholas Church. ArchDaily, who spotted the feature, writes that “the building, which broke ground last year, has been described by Calatrava as a ‘tiny jewel’ for lower […]

World Trade Center Transportation Hub Gets Its Final Steel Rafter

Ironworkers attach the “Old Glory” flag to the final Oculus rafter piece before installation

November 26, 2014

World Trade Center Transportation Hub Gets Its Final Steel Rafter

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Just weeks after One World Trade Center and the Fulton Center Subway Station opened their doors for business, the last of the 114 steel rafters was installed on Santiago Calatrava's long-overdue, majorly over-budget flying bird-looking transportation hub. This is just one of many steel components in the project; it’s made up of 618 steel pieces which weigh more than 12,000 tons. The rafters were supposed to be completed by August, but though they were three months behind schedule, the hub is still expected to open in late 2015.
Read more here
REVEALED: Renderings for Santiago Calatrava’s Ground Zero Church
October 16, 2014

REVEALED: Renderings for Santiago Calatrava’s Ground Zero Church

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Ahead of the groundbreaking this weekend, a new video and renderings have been revealed for Santiago Calatrava's church near Ground Zero, which will overlook the 9/11 Memorial. The new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church will be constructed of white Vermont marble, inspired by a mosaic of the Madonna and Child Enthroned at the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul.
More on the design here
Checking in on the Progress at One World Trade Center in Photos
July 14, 2014

Checking in on the Progress at One World Trade Center in Photos

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As many of you architecture buffs know, One WTC now rises a symbolic 1,776 feet, making it the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere and the third tallest in the entire world. Designed by renowned architect David Childs of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, it also has a LEED Gold certification and is the most environmentally sustainable project of its size. After a temporary real estate slump, the 104-story, glass and steel building is now 56% leased, with big-time tenants like Conde Naste, Morgan Stanley, Legends Hospitality, and BMB Group. Eight years after construction began, One World Trade is at an exciting juncture with its tenants expected to move in by the end of the year, already beginning to build out their office spaces. The original crew of 10,000 has been reduced to 600, and we're checking in on what these remaining workers are up to.
Check out some amazing photos of the progress at One WTC
Santiago Calatrava’s Winged ‘Oculus’ WTC Transportation Hub Takes Shape
March 24, 2014

Santiago Calatrava’s Winged ‘Oculus’ WTC Transportation Hub Takes Shape

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It's unfortunate that Santiago Calatrava's original design for the WTC Transportation Hub got scrapped for a shrunken, more watered-down version. But the cost saving measures that transformed his beautiful "bird" into what some critics have dubbed as a "rack of lamb" didn't completely destroy the majestic spirit of the original design. Construction images recently released by the Port Authority of NY & NJ reveal that the Oculus is finally taking shape, emerging from its WTC site as something that could very well be quite iconic.
More incredible photos ahead
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