Recently, in the outlook of many architectural media on the landmark buildings to be completed in 2022, the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas in New York and the National Pilgrimage Site have become one of the most anticipated projects. The church, which was completely destroyed in 9/11, began reconstruction in 2015 and is expected to be completed within this year. The following is a real view of the church under construction.
The reconstruction project was designed by Spanish architect and engineer Santiago Calatrava. Its design is inspired by the Hagia Sophia Grand Mosque in Istanbul, the original Hagia Sophia, and is one of the basic elements that define the original architecture of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas.
According to the architects, the new design idea for the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Nicholas and the National Pilgrimage Site originated from the idea of "transforming the image of the Virgin into the throne of wisdom 'Sedes Sapientiae', and transforming the building into a church pilgrimage site".
Just as Byzantine churches began to draw "cross" planes and introduced human proportions and order into architectural design, Calatrava introduced anthropomorphism into the entirely new design of this church.
Moreover, Calatrava applied an in-depth study of the relationship between architecture and numbers in the Byzantine period to the design of the building: he used the same number of ribs in the design of the Church of St. Nicholas with the same number of ribs as in the Aya Sophia Dome.
In addition, the façade of st. Nicholas' church is made of pentelic stone with translucent incisions, so that the façade of the church can be illuminated dimly at night. The use of Pontali stone also symbolizes a tribute to the Parthenon, and the architect believes that Aya Sophia is an Orthodox Parthenon-like being.
Santiago Calatrava
Santiago Calatrava
Architect Santiago Calatrava, born in 1951 in the Spanish cultural city of Valencia, studied at the Valencia School of Architecture and Art and the Federal High Engineer Zurich (ETH), and after graduating with a doctorate in 1981, he established his own architectural firm, and just ten years later, in 1992, he received the IStructE Gold Medal (one of the highest honors for structural engineers).
Calatrava is one of the few masters of our time who has the dual identities of architect and structural engineer. His works break with the traditional structurally stable form, often in a dynamic, sculptural form, with distinctive characteristics.
Representative works
New Milwaukee Art Museum
World Trade Center transportation hub
Dubai Watchtower
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Compiled by "GA Global Architecture"