Santiago Calatrava

Santiago Calatrava is a Spanish neofuturistic architect, sculptor, structional engineer and painter who was born on July 28, 1951. Calatrava is widely known for not only his sculptural bridges but also for his brilliant buildings. 

Calatrava has won numerous awards such as Gold Medal of the Institution of Structural Engineers, Fazlur Khan International Fellowship and the Gold Medal from the AIA (American Institute of Architects). 

Santiago Calatrava's structures have a clear blend of influences and some of these influences are Le Corbusier's Chapel Notre Dame du Hau, Antoni Gaugi, animals and plant structures.

Some of Caltrava's work:



Within my research I found out that "Calatrava has become known for the arching sculptural forms of his large public buildings. These structures—railway stations, bridges, airports, and museums—are built of concrete, metal, and glass and are rarely completely enclosed. The unusual spaces and swooping shapes of these works, which often seem poised for flight, reflect a refined aesthetic sensibility informed by engineering skill." 

Whilst studying Calatrava's works, I realised that his works are usually free flowing and a lot of them seem to have a skeletal structure. Also, many of them are either in the shape of a bird or appear to be about to take fight and this might be because he likes birds but whatever the reason, it gives his buildings a graceful and elegant appearance. 

I quite like Calatrava's structures and this is because they have a futuristic essence about them and this is what I plan on using to influence my final piece to look the way I want it to look. His works really stand out from every other building around them and this is what I plan on doing with my buildings for my final piece and this is because I would like for my buildings to kick-start a new generation of ideas for the future.