Saturday, December 04, 2004

Calatrava Wins AIA Gold Medal

Santiago Calatrava, known for designs that stretch the boundaries of engineering, has been selected as recipient of the AIA Gold Medal.

Calatrava's visibility reached its zenith this year with the commission to design a wing-like Transit Hub at the World Trade Center, and with the completion of his Olympic Sports Complex in Athens, Greece which included the glass and steel Olympic Stadium roof, the Olympic Velodrome, and the master plan for the sports complex.

Calatrava's name is arguably the most-mentioned in architecture outside Frank Gehry's, and his string of awards litters countries around the world. Source: Architectural Record

Calatrava's Mark in Tenerife

Calatrava's personal brand is clearly evident in the island's capital, Santa Cruz, with his designs for the The Auditorio de Tenerife and nearby Centro Internacional de Ferias y Congresos.

These two distinctive buildings form the city's new image with their strategic position at the entrance to the capital, greeting visitors from the south motorway and both island airports.