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Earlier this month, notable Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava was awarded the 2015 European Prize for Architecture by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design and the European Centre for Architecture, Art, Design and Urban Studies. The award joins a number of other accolades the 64-year-old has received throughout his distinguished career, which has brought him to places like Canada, Sweden and Israel to fulfill his architectural visions.
Christian Narkiewicz-Laine, President of the Chicago Athenaeum, applauded Calatrava for his work following the announcement: “He is a visionary theorist, philosopher and utopian and a true artist in the craft of engineering and architectonic expressionism." On November 17, Calatrava will be honoured at the World Trade Center in New York City, steps away from his Transportation Hub. In the lead-up to this event, we take a look at some of his best known—and sometimes controversial—works.
The early 1990s saw Calatrava design several infrastructure projects, including train stations and bridges. Following many commissions throughout Europe, Calatrava won an international design competition in 1992 for the Allen Lambert Galleria in Toronto. The six-storey pedestrian walkway mimics a forest canopy with its arched steel structure. These early works brought Calatrava international attention, landing him major projects around the world.
His first entry into the United States came with the Quadracci Pavilion at the Milwaukee Art Museum. Finished in 2001, the structure features ribbed vaults and a central nave to complete Calatrava's modern interpretation of a Gothic cathedral.
One of his largest projects was constructed in his home country of Spain. Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences is a cultural and entertainment complex inaugurated in 1998. Since then, it has quickly become the city's main tourist attraction. It features an IMAX cinema, planetarium, science museum, opera house and a large plaza for events. Pools around the complex add a reflectivity to the scene that gives another dimension to the buildings.
Calatrava's first foray into highrise construction came with the 54-storey Turning Torso in Malmo, Sweden. Nine pentagonal segments composed of five floors each are stacked atop each other, slightly twisting as they ascend. Consisting of both offices and apartments, the building is often credited with starting the trend of twisting towers.
One of his latest ventures brought him to Calgary. Spanning the Bow River, the Peace Bridge provides a pedestrian and cyclist connection between the downtown core and the community of Sunnyside. The eye-catching painted red steel skeleton has made it a popular subject for photographers in addition to providing a functional piece of infrastructure to the growing city.
Though Calatrava's projects have broken the mould worldwide, his designs have also come under fire for budget overruns and delayed openings. The cost of the World Trade Center Transportation Hub has doubled to $4 billion and was initially targeted for completion six years ago. But Calatrava's growing list of awards has proved to the world that he remains a hot commodity and one of the go-to designers for cities seeking their next architectural landmark.
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