New York has been trying to lick its wounds after the attacks on the World Trade Center since 2001. In recent years, a symbol of liberation, of the will to live, has been erected near the memorial of the two towers. The Oculus Interchange Centre designed by Santiago Calatrava is like a white bird soaring through the air. Inside, the soaring ceiling is resplendent with rows of white ribs, and the long skylight is not only an aesthetic addition to the whole, but also a thoughtful way of paying tribute to the victims of the 9/11 attack.
Rubble
In the early 20th century, the Hudson station serving the Port Authority Trans-Hudson (PATH) railway stood on the site of the Oculus. Trains still run between Lower Manhattan and New Jersey (Newark, Jersey City, Hoboken) today. Interestingly, it is the fifth most used agglomeration railway in the US. However, the Hudson station disappeared from the New York landscape as early as 1971 in preparation for the construction of the World Trade Center. Until 2001, the business centre of America was served by the new WTC station, but the attacks and collapse of the skyscrapers severely damaged the station. For this reason, the city had to develop a plan to rebuild the entire area including the transport infrastructure.
Architects quickly set to work on the crumbled neighbourhood. The authorities commissioned Daniel Libeskind to develop a master plan for the rebuilt WTC, and he presented preliminary designs as early as 2002. However, the city had some criticism of the architect’s concept, as the architect had failed to include several important elements. The New York authorities wanted to create an interchange centre that could compete with Penn Station or Grand Central Terminal. It is worth noting that Lower Manhattan had no major interchange facility at the time.
Ribs of freedom
Spanish architect Santiag Calatrava was commissioned to design the new grand interchange station. In his designs, Calatrava often relies on expressive volumes composed of white ‘ribs’. The dynamically swirling elements often form shapes reminiscent of wings or other animal body parts. When Calatrava presented his station design to the public, critics were delighted. The architect is also a sculptor, painter and, above all, an engineer, which is why the combination of these talents produces such a surprising effect.
Construction began de facto in 2008, when the remains of the rubble from the two towers could still be seen all around. Delays quickly arose due to the length of time it took to manufacture and transport the prefabricated elements. Over time, however, the steel ribs that make up the station’s ‘wings’ began to form a coherent body. Glass panes were placed between the white columns, allowing plenty of light into the interior. Good interior lighting is an important asset of the main hall. The pure white interior visually enlarges the already monumental building. Calatrava wanted to make a reference to the huge skyscrapers of Manhattan, so that the Oculus could match other buildings in the area.
The ribbed design tapers upwards and ends in a long strip of glass. This treatment draws the passenger’s gaze towards the glazing, as it is the mechanism hidden in the roof that is the most symbolic element. Every anniversary of 11 September, the glass roof opens up and floods the interior with sunlight. This moment is special because the mechanism opens the roof at the same moment that the second tower collapsed. The time of 10:28 a.m. is therefore the symbolic end of the tragedy. According to the architect, after the collapse of the tower, a time of work, rebuilding and release from the harrowing events begins. The realisation of this idea was made possible by the correct positioning of the building in relation to the former towers. Looking at the map, one can even see that the building was broken out of the New York grid.
Bird or dinosaur?
Aside from its symbolism paying tribute to the victims of the 9/11 attacks, the building is first and foremost an important transport hub. Passages, tunnels, stations and even a shopping mall were accommodated on 74,000 square metres. Some of the mezzanine and arcade areas are occupied by the Westfield World Trade Centre gallery’s retail and service units. However, most people go inside to get on one of the many underground rail trains. In addition to the PATH line mentioned above, it is also possible to go down to the platforms of the New York underground, including the rebuilt WTC Cortland station.
The coherence of the design is also worth mentioning. From the large entrance from the street to the hall above the railway platforms, everything shines in white. The sterile colour organises the space and makes it easier to navigate the station’s many tunnels. Another interesting element is the ‘ribs’ of the building. It is not just the white pillars familiar from the façade, but the suspended structures above the passageways. The biomorphic steel elements are reminiscent of the inside of a chest.
Of course, such an expressive design for a public facility has been met with both praise and criticism. To some, the Oculus resembles a kitschy dinosaur incongruous with the WTC. Others see it as a work of art that will become a monument in a few decades. However, there are also objective drawbacks to the station, such as the narrow staircase. During rush hour, the insufficient number of descents makes it difficult to navigate the busy station. Furthermore, a few years ago the glass roof could not open and the leaky structure started to leak.
Art costs money
The issue of the huge cost of the investment cannot be overlooked either. However, more than $4 billion for a station and one PATH railway station is a hefty price tag. Underground passageways connect the station to already existing stations, which are not part of the investment. Interestingly, Oculus has been hailed as the world’s most expensive railway station. Several factors came together for this high cost including expensive materials, advanced construction techniques and the labour-intensive nature of the project. These difficulties also contributed to the almost ten-year delay in completing the building. It should also be remembered that the architect tends to build time-consuming and expensive buildings that nevertheless defend themselves with a surprising appearance. Calatrava’s designs break out of the Lecorbusier framework of blocky and boring blocks.
Has Calatrava succeeded in creating a WTC memorial and a temple of transport in one? On the first aspect, there is no doubt, but the high cost of construction and the architect’s aesthetic priorities somewhat handicapped the utilitarianism of the building. Nevertheless, it must be acknowledged that the building both externally and internally impresses with its monumentalism. The aesthetics and refinement are set to make the Oculus an iconic station much like Grand Central Terminal or the original Penn Station. The next decades will verify the genius or waste of the WTC Transportation Hub in New York.
Source: Official World Trade Centre
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