A Spanish court ruled that famed architect Santiago Calatrava must pay 2.9 million euros (roughly $4 million) to a property development company, citing "shortcomings in his work" related to the Palacio de Congresos project in Oviedo, Spain, according to the Associated Press.
According to a report from The Guardian, Palacio de Congresos' infamous, huge mechanical visor has never worked because of problems with its hydraulics. Calatrava has been in an ongoing battle with the building's owners through the courts after they blamed him and refused to pay his full fees.
The architect is facing legal action in his home town, as well. As BD+C reported in December 2013, officials with the city of Valencia, Spain, are blaming Calatrava for the rapid deterioration of buildings within its City of Arts and Sciences complex.
And the owner of another Calatrava-designed project, Ysios winery in the rainy Alava region of northern Spain, say the building's dramatic, undulating roof is leaking.
Related Stories
Contractors | Feb 3, 2015
Nonresidential construction spending expands in December 2014
Seven of 16 nonresidential construction subsectors posted increases in spending in December on a monthly basis.
Office Buildings | Feb 3, 2015
Bjarke Ingels' BIG proposes canopied, vertical village for Middle East media company
The tensile canopy shades a relaxation plaza from the desert sun.
Fire-Rated Products | Feb 3, 2015
AIA course: Fire and life safety in large buildings
Earn 1.0 AIA/CES learning units by studying this article and successfully completing the online exam.
Multifamily Housing | Feb 2, 2015
D.C. developer sees apartment project as catalyst for modeling neighborhood after N.Y.'s popular High Line district
It’s no accident that the word “Highline” is in this project’s name. The goal is for the building to be a kind of gateway into the larger redevelopment of the surrounding neighborhood to resemble New York’s City’s trendy downtown Meatpacking District, through which runs a portion the High Line elevated park.
Healthcare Facilities | Feb 1, 2015
7 new factors shaping hospital emergency departments
A new generation of highly efficient emergency care facilities is upping the ante on patient care and convenience while helping to reposition hospital systems within their local markets.
Multifamily Housing | Jan 31, 2015
5 intriguing trends to track in the multifamily housing game
Demand for rental apartments and condos hasn’t been this strong in years, and our experts think the multifamily sector still has legs. But you have to know what developers, tenants, and buyers are looking for to have any hope of succeeding in this fast-changing market sector.
Multifamily Housing | Jan 31, 2015
20% down?!! Survey exposes how thin renters’ wallets are
A survey of more than 25,000 adults found the renters to be more burdened by debt than homeowners and severely short of emergency savings.
Multifamily Housing | Jan 31, 2015
Production builders are still shying away from rental housing
Toll Brothers, Lennar, and Trumark are among a small group of production builders to engage in construction for rental customers.
Architects | Jan 30, 2015
Exhibit captures 60 of Bjarke Ingels' projects — from hottest to coldest places on Earth
The Hot to Cold exhibit encompasses 60 of BIG’s recent projects captured by Iwan Baan´s masterful photography.
BIM and Information Technology | Jan 29, 2015
Lego X by Gravity elevates the toy to a digital modeling kit
With the Lego X system, users can transfer the forms they’ve created with legos into real-time digital files.