moving right along
On this anniversary of Sept. 11th, even though we're surrounded by so much sadness and mourning here in NYC, I'd like to celebrate the progress and innovation (at least in the world of design!) that's come about during the last five years. Yesterday, CBS Sunday Morning did a wonderful segment about the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava and his unique and beautiful plans for the downtown PATH train station, which will be part of the new World Trade Center complex. And I'm in utter architectural love!
The new station, which will be the main artery for trains connecting New Jersey to Manhattan, looks like an oval of glass and steel with wings rising from its spine, which Calavatra says was inspired by a sketch he made of a pair of children's hands releasing a bird into the air. (How appropriate.) I can only imagine how amazing this will look in the midst of all the straight-laced skyscrapers downtown.
The steel, concrete and glass pavilion at ground level is essentially a skylight for the station's lower levels, allowing daylight to travel 60 feet straight down to the tracks below. By creating covered areas around the station, the block-long, 150 foot-tall wings serve to protect visitors from wind and rain. But the best part of the whole design? The roof retracts (wooo!) kind of like a train-station-skydome that opens the station to fresh air! Awesome!
Wonder if this station will actually make me want to take a trip to New Jersey? Eh, highly doubtful.
xxx
posted by s*d @ 4:06 PM
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