With an original anticipated opening of 2007, the megaproject has been slowed by ballooning costs and scandals. Major delays and bad press have unsurprisingly hit Calatrava’s reputation hard. “I have been treated like a dog,” he said to the Wall Street Journal. While some have called the structure a “glorious boondoggle“, others, like Vanity Fair’s Paul Goldberger, have been more forgiving, calling the project a “truly sumptuous interior space for the benefit of the public.”
Related: Get a sneak peek of Santiago Calatrava’s Oculus WTC Transit Hub – opening soon
Filled with soft natural light, the dramatic and operable Oculus is framed by curving white ribs that frame a space reminiscent of a cathedral nave. The 225,000-square-foot, white-marble main concourse is also home to a high-end mall operated by Westfield Corporation; however, the mall’s opening will take a while longer with the exception of Eataly, one of its retail tenants, which is expected to open in spring.
Described by World Trade Center website as the “most integrated network of underground pedestrian connections in New York City,” the WTC Transportation Hub’s concourse offers connections to 11 different subway lines; the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) rail system; Battery Park City Ferry Terminal; the World Trade Center Memorial Site; WTC Towers 1, 2, 3, and 4; the World Financial Center and the Winter Garden.
What do you think of the hub’s controversial design?
Images via WTC Progress, DBOX, Wikimedia
