I made a few trips in New York City after a fairly long absence. It always enjoy seeing the progress that has been on various major construction projects that are under way all over the city. There are several fascinating developments in projects in Manhattan, including several Super-Tall skyscrapers and elaborate complexes, such as the Hudson Yards project. However, no project is more important to NYC than the new World Trade Center. The rebuilding of the WTC has been a very long and painstaking process since the attack on 9/11/01, but it has been truly gratifying to see the new WTC slowly come together piece by piece in the last few years. A major milestone was reached with the opening of the WTC Transportation Hub on March 3rd of this year. I have been very eager to see the new building in person since it opened, but I wanted to wait until the weather was a little nicer before making the trip to lower Manhattan. The centerpiece of the Hub, is a soaring, white building, called the Oculus, that in many ways seems like a modern cathedral.
The Oculus is positioned to the east of the North Pool of the WTC, which occupies the spot where the North Tower of the WTC once stood. Behind the Pool you can see the Oculus. The neofuturistic Oculus was designed by the famed Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. The building opened to mixed reviews from architectural critics, but I love it after seeing it in person. It is a truly inspiring building that I think will stand the test of time well.
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