The World Trade Center Transit Hub — aka The ( other ) Oculus — has already gone down in history as themost expensive string station , ever . The grand sum was $ 4 billion , about twice what it was supposed to be , andmore than the skyscraperadjacent to it . But there might be another record - breaking bod associated with this project . I could n’t believe how much the architect got paid .
The Real Dealhas alovely graphicthat breaks down the last costs of the WTC Hub . The story explains some of the budgetary increases , mostly due to the many ( many ) changes the design need to undergo . Which is graspable , I think , and reasonably normal for these big public projects . So some of these figure seem large , but reasonable . $ 355 million to mix the subway line ? Okay . $ 32.1 million for a skylight ? Fine , I opine . But then you get to the design fees .
harmonize to The Real Deal , architect Santiago Calatrava was paid $ 80 million to design the WTC Hub . The full pattern fee were $ 408.5 million . Calatrava ’s cutting was $ 80 million . For position , $ 80 million is the line up - for - inflation cost to establish Grand Central Terminal .
I ’ve written about architecture for a long time , and I ’ve tried very hard to think about another projection that so splendidly ballooned over budget . I ’d have to imagine this is one of the large fee ever paid to an architect , and I question if it was money well - drop .
I ’m not being one of those “ my six - year - onetime can plan a better gearing post ” people — I do n’t doubt Calatrava ’s science ( even if it’snot suited to my exceptional taste ) and I ’m sure he had a circle of mass operate on the project for a longsighted clip who should also be pay well . And I do agree that the city deserves great substructure ; if anything should be $ 4 billion , it should be a public building .
[ The Real Deal ]
ArchitectureCitiesInfrastructureNew York CitytransportationurbanismWorld Trade Center
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