• Santiago Calatrava New York
• Architect Santiago Calatrava
• Santiago Calatrava World Trade Center

1. Architect Santiago 1. PHILOSOPHY Santiago Calatrava symbolises a perfect blend of architecture and engineering capabilities at their best.
2. Santiago Calatrava merges the. The Rules of the Bridge Design 1> Asymmetric Cable-Stayed Bridge. Philosophy of Structures.

Architecture is an Art The GROUND opted to focus on the concept of balance or equilibrium something Calatrava has portrayed again and again in his structures. We began with a visit to his private gallery in New York, in his Manhattan townhouse. Born in 1951 near Valencia, Spain, Santiago Calatrava is not only one of the world’s most prominent architects but also an engineer and an artist. He is particularly known for designing bridges and architectural structures that look as if they had sprung from the pages of his sketchbook. © Courtesy of Santiago Calatrava Each time Calatrava designs a new public structure, it seems that it quickly becomes a community landmark and earns him international recognition. A humanist at heart, his projects are inspired by natural environments and his desire to craft a better everyday experience for people. Often futuristic in appearance, his buildings rely on modernist principles of architecture (the material triad: steel, glass, and concrete) while suggesting shapes and motions of organic entities.

Santiago Calatrava New York

His architectural language is also easily recognizable; it’s articulated through clean geometric lines, refined to create movement and total equilibrium. In the viewers’ eyes this vocabulary communicates a feeling of ascension, along with a spiritual element that embodies ideals of optimism and hope. “The natural shapes of my structures give a sense of optimism.” Since the start of his career, Calatrava has designed over 30 bridges, as well as numerous train stations and airports. He contributed to reshaping Manhat- tan’s skyline with a proposal for the 80 South Street Tower project, a structure consisting of a stack of 10 cubes offset from one another and held up by a giant scaffold. Windows 7 activation patch download. Recently, he designed the main transportation hub for Ground Zero (2008-2014). Calatrava is also the only architect to have his work exhib- ited at both the Museum of Modern Art and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

Given the chance to sit down with this professional city re-shaper, The GROUND opted to focus on the concept of balance or equilibrium – some- thing Calatrava has portrayed again and again in his structures. We began with a visit to his private gallery in New York, in his Manhattan townhouse. The human form itself dictates one’s entrance into the house; his doorknobs are shaped as female nude torso on one side and as a male upper body on the other. The architect noted that he has always been fascinated with the structure and anatomy of the human body. After a flight of stairs and a set of transparent doors, we encountered series of architectural models set on pedestals lined up against the wall.

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These miniature structures were made of basic geometrical shapes held in equilibrium by an ingenious support device. Shapes such as that of the cube, cone, and sphere have been central motifs both in Calatrava’s drawings and in the design of his early buildings. © Courtesy of Santiago Calatrava The gallery occupies the entire second floor of the house, which is built around a central staircase. This layout shapes a path inviting the visitor to stroll through corridors in a circular manner, giving the impression of a ritual procession. During our visit, the white wooden floors and the large windows immersed the space with light.

The atmosphere felt meditative and inspira- tional, like being in a sanctuary. “The first structures I created were inspired by the observation of human and animal anatomy the first buildings I created in the United States were very much influenced by nature and plants, maybe because nature is so over- whelming and majestic here!”. © Courtesy of Santiago Calatrava Paintings and ceramic vessels displayed in his gallery convey the militant spirit Calatrava has not been able to shake from his core. One of the recurring icons for him is that of the bull, a symbol of the virtues and values of Spain.

Architect Santiago Calatrava

He takes this classic Spanish motif and expresses it as a herd of charging beasts, emphasizing a strong sense of movement and perhaps the pride and faith that action can thrust a culture toward a better future. Aware of the impact of human intervention on a landscape, as well as its role as trace of human achievements, Calatrava takes a high-level view of architec- ture as a way for humans to leave a mark on the otherwise celestially formed natural space. Attentive to environmental issues, Calatrava notes the shift in the relationship between human beings and wildlife that ensued over the centuries. © Courtesy of Santiago Calatrava “Our relationship to the landscape has changed tremendously since the 19th century.

We are no longer Caspar Friedrich’s romantic characters observing nature’s sublime power. With time we’ve tamed nature and altered landscapes, and today we have come to realize that Earth is an aging mother that requires care and attention.” Since World War II, Calatrava says, utilitarian constructions and industri- alization have “polluted” the most beautiful natural landscapes. Concerned about the fragility of the planet, Calatrava’s designs attempt to give new meaning to civic structures. This aspiration is made apparent by the types of commissions he takes on. In effect, 90 percent of his constructions are heavily used public structures such as bridges or train stations.

Santiago Calatrava World Trade Center

Calatrava expresses a profound wish to contribute to society. He hopes that beyond their structural function, his constructions will convey a sense of hu- man consciousness and dignity. “In a way I feel like Matisse, sharing the same idealistic vision of things. With my designs, I want to make people’s lives easier and more functional while of- fering them the satisfaction of seeing something beautiful. I hope that in con- trast to the everyday life, this experience of beauty will “uplift” their dignity.” Moved by the architectural heritage left by civilizations over the years, but always forward looking, Calatrava’s designs attempt to reconcile past and present by conveying a sense of movement toward a better future. He noted that architecture is a centuries-old art form, given that even ancient cultures built structures for life and work. He says that architecture has given him a sense of pride in mankind, that people have always looked for ways to im- prove their structural environment.

But the balance between “improving” an environment and “protecting” it has been a delicate one for Calatrava. He says that he always attempts to defer to local fauna and flora and thereby to respect nature’s majestic splendor.