The Architect Aesthete

Santiago Calatrava’s creations are elegant, dramatic landmarks aimed at breathing new life into their surrounding landscapes, each one a feat of engineering that sees architectural works metamorphosise into innovative, sculptural structures. Ever the aesthete who produces sculptures, ceramics and paintings alongside buildings, calatrava takes the approach of using advanced technology and engineering as vehicles for beauty and art, where form takes precedence, instead of creating purely utilitarian architecture.

His designs are astonishing visual spectacles, particularly his bridges; they have brought him international acclaim and established his reputation. Revolutionising bridge construction, he transforms those connectors into works of art that are catalysts in reviving derelict neighbourhoods, thereby injecting hope into forgotten spaces and even acting as a symbol of reconciliation.

Consider the Woman’s Bridge he built in Buenos Aires, Argentina, which is a 102m-long pedestrian bridge. It has a central section suspended by cables from an inclined pylon able to rotate 90 degrees to permit free passage of water traffic, which helped to revitalise the city’s run-down port area.

An emblem of regeneration is his upcoming 1.4 million sq ft Peninsula Place, which is part of the new Greenwich Peninsula cultural district – London’s single largest redevelopment project formerly home to a gasworks, power station and other industries that left much of it a barren wasteland. It will be composed of a train and bus station, theatre, cinema, performance hall, well-being hub, winter garden, bars and shops, over which will soar three high-rise buildings of workspaces, apartments and hotels, all linked to the Thames by a new land bridge.

Bridging Spaces