Santiago Calatrava

Calatrava is known for his organically inspired designs, such as L'Umbracle at his Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències in Valencia. A similar open avenue was designed for the Athens Olympic complex.

Santiago Calatrava is a Spanish architect whose work has become increasingly popular worldwide.

Born July 28th 1951 in Valencia, Spain, Calatrava later moved to Zurich, Switzerland, and it is there that his career began.

Calatrava's unique and highly influential style combines a striking visual artistic style with a solid knowledge of engineering. Often inspired by natural forms such as the cantilevered skeletons of dinosaurs, his works have elevated the design of some civil engineering projects such as bridges to new heights. He has designed numerous train stations, heralded for their bright, open, and easily-traveled spaces.

His newest project is a residential skyscraper composed of 12 townhouses in the shapes of cubes. The 12 cubes move up a main beam and follow a ladder-like pattern, providing each townhouse its own roof. The "townhouse in the sky" design has attracted a high profile clientele, willing to pay the hefty 30 million for each cube. It will be built on 80 South Street, New York, New York, down in the financial district facing the East River.

Notable works

Completed

• City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia, Spain
• Telecommunications tower at the Montjuic Olympic Plaza, Barcelona, Spain (1992)
• Kuwaiti Pavilion at the 1992 World's Fair, Seville, Spain
• Alamillo Bridge, Seville, Spain
• Bach de Roda Felipe II Bridge, Barcelona, Spain
• Trinity Bridge, footbridge over River Irwell, Salford, England
• TGV Station, Lyon, France
• Stadelhofen Station, Zürich, Switzerland
• Oberbaumbrucke, Berlin, Germany
• Alameda Bridge, Valencia, Spain
• Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA (2001)
• Sundial Bridge, Redding, California

The Olympic Velodrome one of many building Calatrava designed for the Athens Olympics.

• Athens Olympic Sports Complex, Athens, Greece

Under construction

• World Trade Center Transportation Hub, New York City, USA
• Atlanta Symphony Center, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
• TGV Station, Liège, Belgium
• Turning Torso, Malmö, Sweden

Calatrava has also submitted designs for a number of notable projects which were eventually awarded to other designs, including the Reichstag in Berlin and the East London River Crossing. This last in particular was a very elegant and bold design which was considered by most to be a far more worthy design to that actually built.

External links

• Official Website (http://www.calatrava.com/)
• Great Buildings Directory (http://www.greatbuildings.com/architects/Santiago_Calatrava.html)
• Unofficial website (http://www.calatrava.info/)

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