Santiago Calatrava: Transportation Hub for the World Trade Center Site

Commissioned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Calatrava's design transcends the complex challenges of the site. The wings that make up the exterior of the steel-and-glass pavilion will rise 168 feet in the air. In clement weather, these interlocking canopies can be hydraulically retracted 50 feet in approximately two minutes. This motion-symbolic as well as practical-according to Calatrava is meant to evoke the image of a bird being released from a child's hand, symbolic of renewal and hope. The canopies will also open every September 11 in memory of the tragic events of 2001. The Hub will be located immediately to the east of the original Twin Towers, a site designated as the "Wedge of Light" in Daniel Libeskind's master plan. The main concourse of the structure includes an oval-shaped area free of columns spanning 400 feet long, 216 feet wide and with an apex of 140 feet. Below this atrium are two floors that will be suffused with light filtering through the glass block floors. At night the glowing station will serve as a lantern for the neighborhood. The Hub, scheduled to be fully operational in 2009, will connect to adjacent buildings, the New York City Subway System, the New Jersey PATH train, and perhaps even ferry routes. Approximately 250,000 people are expected to travel through the station daily by 2020. The project team for the World Trade Center Transportation Hub is the Downtown Design Partnership, a joint venture of DMJM+Harris and STV Group, Inc., in association with Santiago Calatrava, S.A.

Santiago Calatrava - Transportation Hub for the World Trade Center Site
Installation Features Two Models of Calatrava Design at MoMA QNS
Organization: Terence Riley, Philip Johnson, Bevin Cline