NEW YORK | 5 World Trade Center | 920 FT | FLOORS

[DURKEY427]

^ Thank you both.

[NYguy]

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/busines...upZacCHvGdEzKJ


By STEVE CUOZZO
August 19, 2013

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese has selected Santiago Calatrava to design its planned new Church of St. Nicholas just south of the World Trade Center, multiple sources said.

The choice of Calatrava from a field of a dozen architects doesn’t guarantee he’ll get the job. Insiders emphasized it depends on signing a contract with him — by no means a fait accompli with one of the world’s most expensive architects.

But what our sources called Calatrava’s “definitive” selection is a big step forward since last May, when we wrote that Greek-American newspaper, The National Herald, had identified Calatrava as a “leading candidate” for the job.

At the time, the archdiocese’s Father Mark Arey told us Calatrava had “certainly been among the 12 or 13 architects who were pre-selected to offer designs,” but no final decision had been made.

Arey is on sabbatical now and referred us yesterday to Father Nathanael Symeonides, who did not respond to an email seeking comment.

Calatrava, of course, is the architect of the PA’s World Trade Center Transportation Hub, which is years behind schedule and has run nearly $2 billion over budget.

The new church at 130 Liberty St. would replace the one destroyed on 9/11. The Port Authority owns the land. A PA rep didn’t get back to us by deadline.

How the church should be rebuilt has been a political hot potato for years, embroiling three governors, the PA, and the Greek Orthodox congregation. Issues have included exactly where and how large it should be, how much it would cost and how it would be funded.

[DesignerVoodoo]

From a friends apartment.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[Blaze23]

Another calatrava on the WTC site to be competed in 2016

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/31/ny...ign.html?_r=1&

Church Near Trade Center to Echo Landmarks of East
St. Nicholas Church, Destroyed on 9/11, to Rebuild With Byzantine Design



That a Spanish architect should design a modern Byzantine church in Lower Manhattan for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, based on buildings in Turkey that were used for Islamic worship, goes to the heart of the message the archdiocese says it hopes to send with the $20 million project. The new St. Nicholas is to open by early 2016.

[NYC2ATX]

Originally Posted by DesignerVoodoo

From a friends apartment.

Uploaded with ImageShack.us

your friends have some great apartments.

[JayPro]

As somewhat loathe as I am to interject "religion" into this (interested colleagues can shoot me a PM as to why I qoutemarked the word), I have toe following to contribute as an Orthodox Christian of paternal-side Greek descent.

That a Spanish architect should design a modern Byzantine church in Lower Manhattan for the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America....

What difference does the architect's heritage make? If the guy can build a proper Eastern Orthodox temple (i.e. Greek, Russian "onion dome" etc.), let him.

...based on buildings in Turkey that were used for Islamic worship, goes to the heart of the message the archdiocese says it hopes to send with the $20 million project.

A little history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hagia_Sophia

Indeed HS was built as a Greek Orthodox basilica. In Turkey there has been a long history of converting Greek churches to mosques, and more often than not this end was achieved through extreme violence.

[Onn]

The design definitely looks Byzantine. I don't know how I feel about that, it doesn't really feel like the design belongs with the rest of the architecture in the area. It's going to look almost ancient in the face of all the modern glass and skyscrapers. This is NYC, not Turkey...

[JayPro]

This is how Greek Orthodox churches (*that can afford it) are built all around the world, regardless of where. It only looks Turkish/Muslim if one plunks two minarets on either side of the dome and puts a crescent/star thing on top.

*My YiaYia's sister had her funeral at a storefront church in Long Island City/Astoria.

[dc_denizen]

too bad, they should have reconstructed Hagia Sophia in its entirety as a Orthodox church in lower Manhattan, how cool would that be?

[Onn]

Originally Posted by JayPro

This is how Greek Orthodox churches (*that can afford it) are built all around the world, regardless of where. It only looks Turkish/Muslim if one plunks two minarets on either side of the dome and puts a crescent/star thing on top.

*My YiaYia's sister had her funeral at a storefront church in Long Island City/Astoria.

The church that was there before looked nothing like this.

[JayPro]

From Wikipedia (paraphrased by Yours Truly):
"Built around 1832, the original (church building) was a private dwelling which was later coverted into a tavern."

My addition:
In 1916, Greek immigrants took the facility, which I assume at some earlier point in time ceased to be a tavern, and officially formed the community three years later.

[NYguy]

More looks taken from....
http://www.calatrava.com/

[scalziand]

It's going to be really cool if it actually glows like that at night.

[JayPro]

Are the buildings in pics 1 and 3 placeholders?
I love that glow, too; and I hope the street level entrance is ADA compliant.

Would anyone know if in the last pic, the lit portion beneath the dome faces east?

[drumz0rz]

Lit portion beneath the dome faces east? I'm not sure I follow. Does this help?

[fimiak]

Its amazing and classicism is always welcome in NYC. I wouldn't be surprised if the exterior of the dome looks similar to the WTC transit hub Calatrava wings. I love the bulk of the base and the stone. I was afraid they would build a simple glass square, but this looks like a proper church.

[baseball1992]

Originally Posted by NYguy

More looks taken from....
http://www.calatrava.com/

IS that building behind it also on the 5 WTC plot?

[JayPro]

Originally Posted by fimiak

Its amazing and classicism is always welcome in NYC. I wouldn't be surprised if the exterior of the dome looks similar to the WTC transit hub Calatrava wings. I love the bulk of the base and the stone. I was afraid they would build a simple glass square, but this looks like a proper church.

Orthodox church architecture throughout the world, its different ethnic styles notwithstanding, must all strictly conform to the same ancient traditional guidelines based exclusively on Biblically-grounded symbolism (FYI In the same way, the church building's interior is designed in keeping with Old Testament descriptions on how the Temple in Jerusalem was to be put together, i.e. the seven-branch candlestand on our altars visually (if not functionally/symbolically) reminiscent of the Jewish menorah).

All that said, alomost any trace of could be perceived as extreme "modernism"--either architecturally (or liturgically BTW)--is at least frowned upon if not outright repudiated. That said, Sr. Calatrava did an outstanding job setting up a temple space that respects Orthodox Christian tradition.

[Blaze23]

I like the design; a modern Byzantine church among modern skyscrapers, a memorial, a sleek museum and a futuristic transportation hub, that's so NYC!

[Hypothalamus]

What has been built below street level all this time? Seems like some sort of network. Any new plans for the west side of the site?


DesignerVoodoo @ SSP via ImageShack.us