New York City is regarded by many as the greatest city in the world, always moving, always hopeful. In this city, you can always see a large number of cyclists, people riding attractions, reading books in the park, or rent a car in NYC. In terms of architecture, it is known for its famous sky-touching towers and historical museums, but interestingly enough, for its civic buildings, which are considered nothing less than landmarks that are experienced & celebrated every day by thousands of people in New York. One such structure, ‘The Oculus NYC, shows the true spirit of New York. It is the new and improved transportation hub in lower Manhattan built on the site of the fallen World Trade Centre by world-renowned architect Santiago Calatrava, which is making an impact in a city full of high risers from GROUND ZERO.
In this article, you’ll learn 15 interesting facts about The Oculus Center in New York you didn’t know.
Here Are 15 Interesting Facts About The Oculus NYC:
1. The concept of hope | The Oculus NYC
The structure itself portrays a bird about to take flight from the hands of a young boy to show that no matter what obstacle the city faces, it will always be hopeful. The form comes from a model the architect made 15 years before the project’s completion, called Mother and Child.
2. Duration of the project | New York Oculus
The work of rebuilding The Oculus NYC was started right after the incidents of 9/11, but the project took 14 years to be completed and opened in February of 2016, which was seven years behind schedule which the architect explained that it was his idea to use this time to build it for the new generation of the city
3. The Most Expensive Train Station | Oculus Architecture
With an estimated budget of 2 Billion when it was proposed in 2004, it cost double it at 4 Billion dollars, making it the most expensive train station in the world.
4. An Iron Man among train stations | Oculus Architect
About 11500 tonnes of steel was used in the construction of this huge structure, and the steel used was so specialized that only four firms in the world could manufacture that. Hence, it was shipped specially from Italy to Brooklyn. This steel comes with a fireproof coating, which gives it a rough texture that could have been smoothened.
5. The Heist of Transportation | The Oculus NYC
There were over 580 pieces with some elements over 30 m long, which proved to be very difficult to transport from the workshop to the construction site of a 7-mile route in the dense urban area of lower Manhattan, which kept the workers busy for many years and cost 3 million dollars.
6. Record-breaking Twin Cranes
The cranes used in the construction of The Oculus NYC and responsible for lifting heavy components with a height of 185ft were some of the city’s most enormous cranes ever used.
7. Trademark of the Architect | Oculus Architect
This project has a striking similarity to the work of another railway station in Lyon, France, which was designed by the same architect.
8. Beautiful Play of light | New York Oculus
Light plays an important factor in any built structure, and as per the architect, the structure receives the same daylight as a person walking on the street in front of the structure. At night, it looks like a lantern given the responsibility of illuminating the city.
9. The Roof That Flies | Oculus Architecture
In the earlier concept of the building, the structure was supposed to have a retractable roof that could move as per need, which looks like a flying bird, but due to various construction and design constraints, it couldn’t be made; instead, panels of the skylight were placed which serves the purpose of daylight.
10. Hallway of History | The Oculus NYC
In 2013, a special hallway of the Hub was opened to the common public, and on its right wall, a plaque stands that shows the agreement which was signed to protect and preserve the remnants of the Hudson River Bulkhead and the Slurry Wall
11. The simplicity of circulation | Oculus NYC
The art of circulation is a skill set of a great architect, according to Calatrava the circulation of this hub is so simple and easy to understand that even his mother can figure it out accurately without any difficulty.
12. Thickness is less than an iPhone | Oculus Architecture
To make sure the building is structurally sound, the thickness of the steel couldn’t be off by 1/8th of an inch; thus, the steel had to be designed specifically for this structure of 365,000 square feet in total, 225,000 square feet will be devoted to retail and restaurant space.
13. Matter of controversies
Calatrava is known to prefer aesthetics over functionality, which was highly criticized for having an impractical design and a huge delay in construction, making the end product cost twice the initial estimated budget.
14. Special Surrounding and Neighbourhood
The location of The Oculus NYC in itself is exceptional and important because of its association with the biggest act of terrorism in the history of the country. It is placed near the newly built Freedom Tower, the 9/11 Memorial Museum, and the famous Hudson River.
15. The economic hub of the area | The Oculus NYC
With over 60 percent of the area dedicated to the commercial zone of retail shops and restaurants, which means 365,000 square feet in total, 225,000 square feet will be used and serve as a major economic hub as it is visited by 300,000 people every day and even a million on special occasions.
