This weekend I came across a gallery that displayed the master plan model for the site, including the proposed new transportation hub for the PATH and subway trains. I'd been following the design progress of the station by Santiago Calatrava since it was announced back in 2004. At the time the design seemed like a breath of fresh air; the design was unlike anything built in NY before - yet at the same time the design appeared more appropriate for an airport than for trains. The roof appeared like skeletal wings; intentionally bird like.
The two wings could be separated, providing fresh air to the train station below; that I liked. Of late, the design has been diluted, modified and pared down. At one point it soared passed it's budget of $2 billion to $3.2 billion. What once looked like a bird ready to take flight , literally looks like a bird carcass picked clean. Impatience and the unfortunate practicality of commercial development have morphed what could have been potentially a dynamic and quite literally a refreshing civic space, into a disappointing boondoggle. The roof will no longer open or close. The two main entrances are merely insignificant slits, muting any sense of arrival or departure. Due to the current location within the site, commuters will have to walk almost two blocks of underground corridors to get in and out and instead of filtering through the main hall as you would at Grand Central Terminal, you'll be forced to walk the upper levels, passing the retail shops.
That last bit seems like some slight of hand by the developer, misconstruing a train station for a shopping mall. I understand it pays the rent and at Grand Central, the retail avenues helped pave the way for its restoration 15 years ago. But I'm sure there are ways to balance both the need for grand space and retail space , without being pushed into a cash register.
At this point though I'm glad any progress is being made. It'll be a decade , 16 months from now, since that dark day. It was thrilling to see over twenty stories already built for the new 1 World Trade Center Tower. At the moment it looks like a steel fortress - not unlike the Borg cube ship from Star Trek. Eventually it will be sheathed in reflective glass and will be a sight to see. The footprints of the former Twin Towers are now defined, being turned into memorial space, with simple yet effective reflecting pools.
I just wish that $2 billion dollars was being well spent. I'd rather see the temporary station stay as is and take that money and rebuild Penn Station, a space that took into account that people actually use it, enter and exit and arrive or depart, kind of like a train station.
