It’s official: Spanish starchitect Santiago Calatrava’s Oculus WTC Transportation Hub will open to the public on Thursday, March 3rd. According to the Port Authority, that means 100,000 daily PATH commuters will now be able to walk through the 150-foot-tall, $4 billion, climate-controlled hub as they connect with 11 subway lines, several bus routes, and ferry service. Keep in mind this is a partial opening. Other parts of the hub, including the mall — which will include an Apple Store and LEGO Store — and the Vesey and Church street entrances will open later this spring.
In an interview with the WSJ, Calatrava says he modeled the Oculus after a bird taking flight because he wanted to think of a way that the site could pay homage to the attacks of 9/11. So he came up with the idea of a child releasing a dove into the air. “It was a message of faith in the future,” he tells the WSJ.
Initially, the Port Authority was going to unveil the Oculus with no fanfare, but now there’s word that there will be “an event this spring.” —WSJ: Interview with Calatrava, Opening Ceremony This Spring
(Image: Curbed)
