St Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in New York by Santiago Calatrava

The new St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church in New York, designed by Santiago Calatrava, will be overlooking the 9/11 Memorial. The original church was destroyed in the September 11 attacks. If everything goes according to schedule, the building should be finished in 2016 or early 2017.

Calatrava was inspired by Byzantine architecture in creating this church, and his work can be used in the dialogue of traditional architecture with modernity (read, in Greek, an article about this challenge of Orthodox architecture). Externally the church is original and interesting, but the interior seems too empty and neutral; of course this may change when the church is ready and used in the everyday life of the parish.

A video of the yet-to-be-built church, made of white Vermont marble and with spaces that filter light inside during the day and make the structure glow at night, makes it clear his contribution is far from negligible.