Santiago Calatrava has won a victory over Esquerra Unida, a Spanish left-wing political party, in court, as a judge has ordered the party's Valencia branch to pay €30,000.
These damages are to be paid because of a website the party created, called "Calatravatelaclava," or "Calatrava bleeds you dry." The architect was asking for €600,000 in damages.
The site went up in 2012 and was meant to target the City of Arts and Sciences, a project that went from €300 million to over €1 billion during construction, according to The Guardian. The complex includes an opera house, a concert hall, a planetarium, and science museum, and was completed in 2005.
It has had multiple structural problems since its construction; in December, the concert hall was fenced off after high winds blew parts of the mosaic off the building. Calatravatelaclava was created to point out flaws in Calatrava's projects, but focused on the Valencia complex in particular.
Other buildings designed by Calatrava have also shown structural problems; for example, the Palacio de Congresos project in Oviedo, Spain.
The judge ruled that the actual information on the Calatravatelaclava site was true and not problematic, but that the name was "insulting and degrading."
The Guardian reports: "the judge said the name suggested that Calatrava 'does not act with the necessary professionalism and honour, but rather schemes, betrays and deceives.' The €30,000 would be 'symbolic reparations for the pain caused' by the site, which he ordered to be shut down within 20 days."
The original website has been taken down; however, another site, called "Calatrava no nos calla," or "Calatrava won't silence us" was launched by Esquerra Unida on Friday, May 16. Ignacio Blanco, has said that this is legal according to the terms of the sentence, and he says that the party will appeal the decision.
Related Stories
| Jan 11, 2014
Getting to net-zero energy with brick masonry construction [AIA course]
When targeting net-zero energy performance, AEC professionals are advised to tackle energy demand first. This AIA course covers brick masonry's role in reducing energy consumption in buildings.
| Dec 30, 2013
Calatrava facing legal action from his home town over crumbling cultural complex
Officials with the city of Valencia, Spain, are blaming Santiago Calatrava for the rapid deterioration of buildings within its City of Arts and Sciences complex.
| Dec 19, 2013
Mastering the art of crowd control and visitor flow in interpretive facilities
To say that visitor facility planning and design is challenging is an understatement. There are many factors that determine the success of a facility. Unfortunately, visitor flow, the way people move and how the facility accommodates those movements, isn’t always specifically considered.
| Dec 13, 2013
Safe and sound: 10 solutions for fire and life safety
From a dual fire-CO detector to an aspiration-sensing fire alarm, BD+C editors present a roundup of new fire and life safety products and technologies.
| Dec 10, 2013
16 great solutions for architects, engineers, and contractors
From a crowd-funded smart shovel to a why-didn’t-someone-do-this-sooner scheme for managing traffic in public restrooms, these ideas are noteworthy for creative problem-solving. Here are some of the most intriguing innovations the BD+C community has brought to our attention this year.
| Dec 6, 2013
French concert hall includes integrated musical elements [VIDEO]
La Métaphone, a concert hall in Ognies, France, is a 1,980-sm facility with the unique characteristic of being a structural musical instrument. The solar-powered building incorporates musical elements in its walls, which can be played by musicians inside or outside the facility.
| Dec 4, 2013
First look: Dubai's winning bid for World Expo 2020 [slideshow]
Dubai has been chosen as the site of the 2020 World Expo. HOK led the design team that developed the master plan for the Expo, which is expected to draw more than 25 million visitors from October 2020 through April 2021.
| Nov 27, 2013
BIG's 'oil and vinegar' design wins competition for the Museum of the Human Body [slideshow]
The winning submission by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and A+ Architecture mixes urban pavement and parkland in a flowing, organic plan, like oil and vinegar, explains Bjarke Ingels.
| Nov 27, 2013
Wonder walls: 13 choices for the building envelope
BD+C editors present a roundup of the latest technologies and applications in exterior wall systems, from a tapered metal wall installation in Oklahoma to a textured precast concrete solution in North Carolina.
| Nov 26, 2013
Construction costs rise for 22nd straight month in November
Construction costs in North America rose for the 22nd consecutive month in November as labor costs continued to increase, amid growing industry concern over the tight availability of skilled workers.
