No Retractable Roof for Proposed WTC Transit Hub

Now that everyone knows rebuilding efforts at the World Trade Center are over-budget and very delayed, Port Authority executive director Christopher Ward announced that the Santiago Calatrava-designed transit hub would undergo some changes. Namely, the hub's "wings" will no longer close and open.

CityRoom notes Calatrava had previously said of the hub, "On a beautiful summer day, the building can work not as a greenhouse but as an open space,” on beautiful days and the anniversary of September 11 each year. Now, the Port Authority says, “This is a tough choice, but it is the right choice. It’s reflective of the kinds of choices we simply must make in the coming weeks and months if we are to establish priorities and milestones, to which we can be held accountable.”

Well, at least the wings aren't being entirely clipped...yet. The Daily News reports that it's unclear how much the savings will be, but the PA has sought other ways to save money on the construction, like using more columns in underground spaces.

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By Jen Chung in News on July 1, 2008 3:51 PM

Comments [rss]

NannyState

Calatrava sure looks great in sketch ups, but what's funny is how his public projects are always overbudget yet he does better when it's a private development. His ChicagoSpire is going up nicely and appears to be on target, yet so many public works such as his Ciudad de las Ciencias in Valencia just go on and on. All that Spanish government money must have put this guy in an opiate grip.

Spirit of 76

Look at the size of the thing. I knew from the get-go that there was no way it would ever get built. It's a mechanical nighmare and would have needed constant maintenance. Assuming it was ever constructed, and the movable aspect of it easily made it less structurally efficient and much more expensive. No engineer would have designed anything like that; only an "artistic" architect would.

Think2wice

BTW don't those renderings remind you of Krypton before it blew up.

"I tell you Jor-El, Krypton is merely shifting in orbit, nothing to fret over" said newly appointed Executive Director Christopher Ward.

Think2wice

The "temporary" PATH station is real enough. Let's have no more ego-tripping politicians collaborating with star-chitects and their Absurdist designs.

Use those billions to extend the PATH to Newark Airport or even replace the AirTrain monorail with it.

fugothamist

ground zero is a microcosm for everything wrong with america after 9/11

jjb009

All of Calatrava's $hit looks the same...

spiritross

What about the monkey butlers?

and the famous escalator to nowhere?

tnturner

big deal. Looks like it opens about 20ft. Calatrava designed an addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum 10 years ago that doesn't work anyway. Save the loot.

David

And people wonder why our infrastructure is shot?

Sommelier

Let's see, now... the Bush tax cuts for the super-rich save John & Cindy McCain about $400,000 every year... so if the roof costs abouy $40,000,000 that means... hell... not even as much as a good-sized Park Ave. condo building saves would cover the cost, easily.