Ponti di santiago calatrava biography

Regardless of the passing of time and of increased competition, his buildings remain nowadays hugely successful for the general audience. Domus Domus. Read also: Genova, Ponte Morandi. Santiago Calatrava takes part in the debate on the reconstruction of the lost infrastructure. The WTC Hub has been controversial because of its cost 4 billion dollars, twice the original estimate, and the most expensive railway station ever built and its delays seven years on 3 Marchseven years behind schedule.

After years of praise and commendation, in some of Calatrava's projects began to draw criticism on the grounds of their cost, delays, and functional problems. Many of these criticisms were packaged together in an article by Suzanne Daley in the New York Times on 13 Septemberentitled "Santiago Calatrava collects critics as well as fans. Daley wrote: " Calatrava is amassing an unusually long list of projects marred by cost overruns, delays and litigation.

It is hard to find a Calatrava project that has not been significantly over budget. And complaints abound that he is indifferent to the needs of his clients. In a Dutch councillor in Haarlemmermeer, near Amsterdam, urged his colleagues to take legal action because the three bridges the architect designed for the town cost twice the budgeted amount and then millions more in upkeep since they opened in In Calatrava sued his critic for defamation and won, however because the judge ruled that, although the website presented "objective truths", its name "Calatrava te la clava" a rhyme meaning "Calatrava bleeds you dry" was "insulting and degrading".

Some of the problems with Calatrava's projects have been caused by unusual design choices and insufficient testing. The glass tiles on the floor of his bridge in Bilbao became slippery in the rain, causing an increased number of claims for injuries and forcing the installation of a black anti-slip carpet on the decking, which blocked the view of the river through the walkway.

The metal arches he put over some landscaped gardens sometimes overheated in the sunshine, baking the vines that were supposed to grow on them. However the maintenance costs are so high that it has been static since months after its inauguration in The ceramic tiles on the surface of the opera house in Valencia, placed as a tribute to Antonio Gaudibuckled in the heat because concrete and ceramics expand and contract at different rates when temperatures change.

Calatrava was sued for the cost of repairs on the bridge in Venice and has been condemned in court. The fixing is delayed by disputes between the Calatrava studio and the building companies. Calatrava was paid a fee of 80 million dollars. Calatrava's original entry pavilion was scaled back for security reasons [ 36 ] and the mechanism for opening the roof to the gallery below was eliminated because of budget and space restraints.

Even before it opened the station was a target of criticism: the New York Post described the station in as it was being built as "a self-indulgent monstrosity" and "a hideous waste of public money". Michael Kimmelmanarchitecture critic for The New York Timesreferred to the structure as "a kitsch stegosaurus". The Hub also had its defenders.

But when I was standing on the marble floors in its enormous, gleaming central concourse two stories below street level, staring up at a clear blue sky between bone-white ribs vaulting ft over my head, I, like Jonah in the whale, repented — at least for the moment We deserve grand expressions of our artistic and technological capabilities.

We deserve public spaces that inspire. The Oculus is deeply flawed, but I appreciate its aspiration and grandeur The Oculus presents a more optimistic vision, one based less on present realities and more on future possibilities. Less Blade Runnermore Star Trek. By the time we get to that future, whichever one it may be, the delays and the cost and the controversies will be forgotten, but we will be left with a luminous great hall in the heart of downtown New York.

In October the Greek government decided to shut down the Athens Olympic Stadium and Velodrome, which both have a roof built by Calatrava, due to stability issues posing a threat for attendees and workers. Calatrava has never described himself as a follower of any particular school or movement of architecture. Critics have claimed that a number of influences can be seen in his work.

In the journal of the American Institute of Architects, Christopher Hawthorne wrote about his design for Florida Polytechnic Universitywhich he called "an example of Calatrava's architectural approach and creative sensibility distilled, for better and worse, to its essence. There are all the usual influences on view—the Eero Saarinen forms rendered in the Richard MeierFAIApalette—and they are remarkably legible and easy to parse here.

Calatrava himself observed that he was particularly influenced by the work of engineers such as the Swiss Robert Maillart —whose work inspired him to seek simple forms which could create an emotional response. Calatrava, a sculptor, has also spoken frequently about the ponti di santiago calatrava biography between sculpture and architecture in his work.

In he wrote that "architecture and sculpture are two rivers in which the same water flows. Think of sculpture as a pure plastic art while architecture is a plastic art which is submitted to function, taking into consideration the human scale. Movement is also an important element in the architecture of Calatrava. He noted that many 20th century sculptors, such as Alexander Caldermade sculptures that moved.

He wrote his own university thesis on "The Flexibility of three-dimensional structures," and described how objects, by moving, could shift from three dimensions to two and even to one. Moving elements which folded and expanded became an important element of almost all of his projects. Calatrava is also a sculptor and painter. Inthe Hermitage Museum in St.

Petersburg held an exhibition of his work [ 54 ] and this was followed up by an exhibition at the Vatican Museum in Rome. Calatrava has received numerous "ponti dis santiago calatrava biography" for his design and engineering work. In he was elected to become a member of "Les Arts et Lettres", in Paris. Calatrava has received a total of twenty-two honorary degrees in recognition of his work.

InCalatrava was awarded an honorary doctorate from Georgia Institute of Technologyan award that has only been given to a small number of people. Calatrava resides in Zurich and New York City. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item.

Spanish-Swiss engineer and architect. In this Spanish namethe first or paternal surname is Calatrava and the second or maternal family name is Valls.

Ponti di santiago calatrava biography: In November , Santiago Calatrava was

ValenciaSpain. Early life [ edit ]. First projects and international attention [ edit ]. Switzerland — Puente del Alamillo Expo 92SevilleSpain Projects of the s [ edit ]. Gare do OrienteLisbon, Portugal Bilbao Airport control tower — However, inCalatrava did create a near identical cable design for the iconic bicycle and pedestrian Sundial Bridge at Redding, California.

Ponti di santiago calatrava biography: Plans for the bridges originated

In the Calatravas welcomed into the world their fourth child, a daughter this time, named Sofia. In his professional life, meanwhile, Calatrava continued to design bridges and transportation hubs. The cross-girder arch design spans the river Spree and replaced the former Schinkel's Schloss Bridge which was demolished in to stop asylum seekers fleeing from East to West Berlin.

Calatrava experienced his first taste of controversy the following year with Bilbao's Zubizuri Footbridge. Once the bridge was opened, however, it exposed a number of design flaws including an unsafe glass-tiled floor. The controversy reached its climax in when the local authority partially modified the bridge by removing metal bars to make room for an additional "non-slip" walkway.

The architect issued a lawsuit to protect "the moral rights to the integrity of his creation". The Biscay Provincial Appellate Court ultimately ruled in favour of Calatrava, stating that "general interest does not take precedence over the architect's moral rights". Toronto's Allen Lambert Galleria was designed by Calatrava having won an international competition.

Unlike the traditional arcades, with purpose-built interior facades that date back to of 19th century France Calatrava's five-storey, weather-protected, gallery was conceived as a free-standing structure connecting existing buildings and streets in Downtown Toronto. The Galleria is also a communal hub for entry into, "Path", the world's largest underground warren of pedestrian tunnels and elevated walkways.

The architectural critic Nick Mafi says of the Galleria"[Calatrava's] ability to design structures that provide the public with a space to work, shop, and move through a city are only heightened by his understanding of elegance in structural form". Calatrava's rising status was further confirmed in with Valencia's, neo-futuristic City of Arts and Scienceone of the largest scientific and cultural complexes in Europe.

However, Calatrava was roundly criticized for going three times over the original budget, its poor accessibility features such as wheelchair-accessible elevatorsand, in the site's opera house, the positioning of seats with obstructed views. However, Calatrava defended his design, and successfully sued his client for defamation. The museum describes how Calatrava was "inspired by the 'dramatic, original building by Eero Saarinen Calatrava, himself stated, "the building's form is at once formal completing the compositionfunctional controlling the level of lightsymbolic opening to welcome visitorsand iconic creating a memorable image for the Museum and the city ".

While his unique avant-garde design is characteristic of his "sculptural" concept, the project became mired in legal battles because of practical design faults with the roof. The large concrete structure features two panoramic terraces that overlook the sea, and an amphitheater-shaped main concert hall. The design of this expansive structure evokes an ocean wave about to break onto the shore and rises up to almost feet in height.

On its opening, the international arts education network, RESEO, enthused: "Auditorio de Tenerife is a plural space, dynamic and in constant movement, where thought and reflection drive to creativity". This time, Calatrava decided to restrict the glass flooring to a sidewalk, using a parapet to separate it from the main walkway. The bridge also featured benches for the first time that allowed pedestrians to sit and take in views of the river.

Having only received the commission in the fall ofworries unfounded as it turned out had surrounded its construction, which was only completed a few days before the Olympic opening ceremonies on August 13, The architectural journal, ARCH20wrote, "Calatrava's design of two triumphant arcs that carry the twin roof of the Athens Olympic stadium, was a major addition to the Athenian skyline and symbolic to the city's entry into the 21st century.

At feet tall, the spiraling residential block is still the tallest building in the country in it was in fact the second tallest residential building in Europe. In addition to its great height, the steel, glass, and concrete structure twist around 90 degrees through nine rotatory cubes of five storeys each. The Museum offers spectacular views across the bay of Guanabara, while the main exhibition space gives the impression it is about to "launch itself" into the sea.

Architectural journalist Mark C. O'Flaherty writes, "The structure features solar panels that shift according to the direction of the sun, while water from the bay it overlooks regulates the temperature inside". It also incorporates a miniature forest and a series of pools that ponti di santiago calatrava biography water from the river.

Its blindingly white, futuristic, flying-saucer form offers a dialogue with Calatrava's new building across the water. His work showed me how you can transmit a kind of poetry through the shapes and forms of architecture, and how it goes beyond the everyday needs of people and becomes art'". The signature feature of Calatrava's design is the feet-high vaulted glass roof.

The roof is inspired by the Pantheon in Rome and allows for daylight to flood a central hall that features a white Italian marble floor. Calatrava's structure is intended to symbolize the rebirth of Manhattan after the terror attacks. However, his vision was not to all tastes with leading media outlets describing it variously as "a self-indulgent monstrosity"; "a hideous waste of public money"; "a kitsch stegosaurus"; and the "world's most obscenely overpriced commuter rail station - and possibly its ugliest".

However, architectural critic Nick Mafi saw it differently, writing, "The structure is part transportation hub, mall, and monument.

Ponti di santiago calatrava biography: Santiago Calatrava Valls (born

There is beauty outside and within the building. There's a metaphorical connection to the unthinkable that happened above the hallowed ground it's built on. There's room for each person - be they New Yorker or tourist - to meditate on their own thoughts. To interpret or define the space. To consider the private loss for so many in such a public place can be humbling.

It's, therefore, in this structure that Calatrava's greatness can be seen and be felt". The pavilion design was inspired by the shape of a falcon in flight which is symbolic of the United Arab Emirates' heritage and culture. His St. Calatrava's contribution to modern architecture has been acknowledged through countless honors and awards. He was, for instance, named "Global Leader for Tomorrow" by the World Economic Forum inand was named as one of the " most influential people" by Time Magazine in Indeed, Calatrava shares the rare rank of "starchitect" a celebrity-level architect with pioneers such as Rem Koolhaas and Frank Gehry.

Indeed, his spectacular neo-futuristic designs have become "statement" buildings, or, as the director of the Milwaukee Art Museum, Daniel Keegan, put it, "Calatrava understands the relevance of destination architecture". O'Flaherty writes "The beauty and purity of form of [ Architecture critic, Nick Mafi, concludes, "In its most basic form, the purpose of architecture is to provide shelter.

For a building to go further than this fundamental purpose, it must delight. That's the only way in which a structure can extend past its physical boundaries to truly touch those who encounter it. And there are few, if any, individuals who can produce this sensation better than Santiago Calatrava". Content compiled and written by Alexandra Duncan.

Edited and revised, with Summary and Accomplishments added by Antony Todd. The Art Story. Ways to support us. Movements and Styles: Modern Architecture.

Ponti di santiago calatrava biography: Several bridges by the architect

Important Art. Bahnhof Stadelhofen Stadelhofen Commuter Station Bac de Roda Bridge Milwaukee Art Museum Ysios Winery The extraordinary weight of the mast steel filled with concrete angling back at 58 degrees was enough to support the roadbed without the need for counter-stay cables. This was a first in bridge design, and is a stunning sight.

The Stadelhofen Station in Zurich presented Calatrava with a unique chance to make a mark on a city. The site the station was to occupy was challenging in that it varied greatly in elevation from end to end and was curved along its length. Other proposals for the station involved roofing over the area and hiding the bulk of the building underground.

However, Calatrava saw this as an opportunity to show off the imperfections of the site.