Great bridges!

Wow. Here's 32 of the world's great bridges [hat tip Stephen Hicks, who has plenty of other great links]. It's a tough choice, but my pick of the bridges is Santiago Calatrava's Bridge in the Canary Islands, shown above next to his Tenerife Opera House. Magnificent.

Oriente Bus Station, Lisbon, Portugal - Santiago Calatrava

Commissioned in 1993 after an open competition. More here and here.

Lyon-Satolas Airport Railway Station - Santiago Calatrava

Built for the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France, this is Santiago Calatrava's competition winning Airport Railway Station for Lyon-Satolas - as a sketch (right), as a model (above), and as the real thing (left).

Santiago Calatrava in Valencia

There may be no wind in Valencia at present, but there is Santiago Calatrava's architecture to enjoy.

Here's some more of his work around his home town, including the City of Arts and Sciences, and the new Opera House (left, below).

Talking about Calatrava's work, Theodor Heuss contrasts it with the technology that some critics disparagingly call it :

The fate, and perhaps the purpose of technology is to grow old ... Art does not age: whatever it is, however old it is, it has an immanent presence and a direct effect on people.

Calatrava's art undeniably speaks for itself. And it speaks beautifully.

City of Arts & Oceanographic Sciences - Santiago Calatrava

A conscious nod to architect Felix Candela, this 2005 project is set to be "the newest jewel in Valencia's crown." Not only that, it's a superbly expressive use of thin shell concrete hypars.

RELATED: Architecture

Hamilton footbridge: Evolution of an idea

Hamiltonians have been discussing the possibility of a footbridge over the Waikato River at the south end of Victoria Street, linking Hamilton's thriving restauarant, bar and entertainment precinct with the river and with the many people living across the river.

A great idea, that I'm told is back on the agenda once again. Great news.

The possible problem lies in the implementation of the idea.

At present there are two ideas. The first is elegant, playful and adventurous (right, below, in an unfortunately bad image). The second (left below) and the one presently proposed is dull, squat and -- as a friend said -- "looks like a road bridge with a few sheds on it."

Above at right is another foot-bridge, nowhere near Hamilton, which gives an indication of what another city has done in the way of an elegant solution to a similar demand -- a Barcelona footbridge by Santiago Calatrava.

TAGS: Architecture, Urban Design

'Townhouses in the sky' - Santiago Calatrava

Architect-engineer Santiago Calatrava has unveiled plans for a tower of "townhouses in the sky" for lower Manhattan, immediately adjacent to the Brooklyn Bridge -- itself a pretty inspiring piece of work.

Interestingly, the crystalline "townhouses in the sky" barely picks up on their neighbour, the Bridge, at all, whereas Calatrava's project for a new rail terminal at the World Trade Centre site (below) does almost explicitly, and beautifully.

(You can see a QuickTime video of this Twenty-First Century Grand Central at Calatrava's own site. Look for the WTC PATH Terminal, and click on the 'Video' link.)


Linked Article: Calatrava, Sciame proposed tower sculpture for the Seaport

Fordham Spire will stand tall

One of the most exciting international architects practicing today is Santiago Calatrava, who has just unveiled his plans for the Fordham Spire, the tallest skyscraper in the US, to be built on Chicago's lakefront (above). When completed, it will be the second tallest in the world, behind the Burj Tower presently under construction in Dubai. The Herald quotes the head of Fordham Co. Christopher Carley, who clearly has a sense of history: Good on him. Chicago's skyline is like an art collection; it's wonderful that Chicagoans value these art treasures so visible in their city. Naturally the design has attracted knockers, from a Donald Trump apprehensive of the competition -- "a total charade" The Donald calls it -- to people suggesting it will be "a target for terrorists." Carley and Calatrava brush off both claims. Of the latter, Calatrava says:

Chicago was America's birthplace for modern architecture, nurturing the genius of Louis Sullivan, Daniel Burnham, Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies van der Rohe," Carley said in a statement. "We want to carry that tradition into the 21st century and give our city a masterpiece by one of today's indisputable geniuses."

"The target was not skyscrapers," he said in reference to the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers in Manhattan on Sept. 11, 2001. "The target was the human lives within them. That's what made it so horrible. But what is my weapon to react against this thing? This building is my weapon! It is a way to say we build in our culture a respect for human life and for a pluralistic society. We have to make an effort to continue inventing the book of life."