Architecture

Santiago Calatrava: A Pain In the Apse

Santiago Calatrava’s genius comes with a big price tag and bigger problems.

The architect behind some of the world’s most beautiful structures turns out to be a royal pain. Santiago Calatrava is known for his spectacularly radical architecture. But according to The New York Times, he’s also known for going spectacularly over budget, forgetting necessary elements in his designs, and leaving behind a slew of problems after completing construction. It seems like almost every past client has been left dissatisfied or embroiled in legal battles with the Spaniard. Calatrava has reportedly left Valencia, Spain, almost 700 million euros in debt for a complex that was budgeted at 300 million euros. Lucky for New York, this guy is also behind the new Lower Manhattan PATH train construction—the one that is six years behind schedule and will cost twice the original budget of $2 million. Sure, it will be beautiful, but will he be worth it?