Several rounds of rumors have named Santiago Calatrava as the likely architect of the rebuilt Church of St. Nicholas downtown. Those rumors have been confirmed in the best way possible: with renderings! As the Times points out, Calatrava's website now includes eight renders for the church. (UPDATE: The Post also spotted a rendering the other day.) The building's reconstruction has involved years of debate (to put it mildly). The original church building was destroyed on 9/11, and the new structure will actually sit on the site of the former Deutsche Bank on Liberty Street and will include a non-denominational bereavement center as part of an agreement with the Port Authority.
The Times points out that for this design, Calatrava has taken his inspiration from some of the great churches of Istanbul, including the Hagia Sophia and the Church of the Holy Savior in Chora, with 40 ribs in the dome and stone bands on the church's corners. It's all quite a contrast to the original church, which looked like this:
· Church Near Trade Center to Echo Landmarks of East [NYT]
· St. Nicholas Church coverage [Curbed]
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