Saturday marked the public "ground blessing" ceremony for the Saint Nicholas National Shrine, the Greek Orthodox Church destroyed on 9/11 by the collapse of the World Trade Center towers. The church is being rebuilt near its original location at 130 Liberty Street overlooking the National September 11 Memorial park.
The designer of the new church is renowned Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. During the ceremeny, Calatrava compared the reconstruction of the church to the rebuilding of the Parthenon in Athens by the ancient Greeks. He added that on 9/11, he was in Athens working on his Olympic Sports Complex for the 2004 games.
“It is my hope that, for generations to come, the Saint Nicholas church will serve as a house of prayer, love, peace and a place for reconciliation,” said Calatrava.
His design was inspired by two places of worship in Istanbul: the Hagia Sophia and the Church of the Holy Savior in Chora. The dome-shaped design evolved loosely from a mosaic of "Madonna and Child Enthroned."
Related Stories
| Sep 23, 2013
Six-acre Essex Crossing development set to transform vacant New York property
A six-acre parcel on the Lower East Side of New York City, vacant since tenements were torn down in 1967, will be the site of the new Essex Crossing mixed-use development. The product of a compromise between Mayor Michael Bloomberg and various interested community groups, the complex will include ~1,000 apartments.
| Sep 20, 2013
August housing starts reveal multifamily still healthy but single-family stagnating
Peter Muoio, Ph.D., senior principal and economist with Auction.com Research, says the Census Bureau's August Housing Starts data released yesterday hints at improvements in the single-family sector with multifamily slowing down.
| Sep 19, 2013
What we can learn from the world’s greenest buildings
Renowned green building author, Jerry Yudelson, offers five valuable lessons for designers, contractors, and building owners, based on a study of 55 high-performance projects from around the world.
| Sep 19, 2013
6 emerging energy-management glazing technologies
Phase-change materials, electrochromic glass, and building-integrated PVs are among the breakthrough glazing technologies that are taking energy performance to a new level.
| Sep 18, 2013
Annual SteelDay to include 125 free events around the U.S.
Hosted by the American Institute of Steel Construction (AISC), its members and partners, SteelDay invites the AEC community and the public to see the contributions the industry has made in the design and construction of steel buildings and bridges.
| Sep 18, 2013
WHR Architects opens first European office, in Copenhagen
WHR Architects has opened its first European office in Copenhagen, Denmark. The decision to locate in the Danish capital was spurred by the Danish healthcare system’s initiative to renew and expand their facilities across the country.
| Sep 17, 2013
NCARB convenes special task force to explore additional pathways to architectural licensure
Potential new pathways to architectural licensure are being explored through the work of a new Licensure Task Force launched by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). Led by NCARB Immediate Past President Ronald B. Blitch, FAIA, FACHA, NCARB, the group held its first meeting at NCARB offices on September 6-7 in Washington, DC.
| Sep 17, 2013
SMPS Foundation announces new business development research book
The SMPS Foundation has released its latest research book, A/E/C BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT – The Decade Ahead.
| Sep 17, 2013
Healthcare project will merge outpatient clinic with YMCA to promote wellness and prevention
Penrose-St. Francis Health Services and the YMCA of the Pikes Peak Region announce collaboration, along with developer The Boldt Company, to create next-generation wellness facility.
| Sep 17, 2013
AIA sees uptick in architecture billings for August
AIA's Architecture Billings Index was 53.8 in August, up from 52.7 the previous month, signaling increased demand for design services nationwide. The West and Northeast regions saw the biggest ABI gains last month.
