Famous architect Santiago Calatrava in trouble (again)

Castellón Convention Centre contract irregularities under judicial investigation

Never got off the drawing board

CASTELLÓN -- Castellón, home to the largest unused airport in the world (probably -- see Who's who in PP's largest corruption cases), does not have a convention centre designed by the internationally acclaimed architect Santiago Calatrava. He was the sweetheart architect at the time that people like Francisco Camps were in government, but Camps and plenty of others got into trouble for corruption. Now a judge is charging Calatrava with irregularities in the contracts pertaining to the convention centre that never got built, for which the architect received €2.7 million. Not that he hasn't been in trouble before.Santiago Calatrava has a long list of litigation behind him.

Slippery when wet

Many of his clients have been unhappy with his work, including the Zubizuri bridge in Bilbao, for instance, about which the Council has long complained of the expenses involved in maintaining it, which involves having to place carpeting on the floor that becomes dangerously slippery when wet (it rains a lot in Bilbao).

Roofing 'fail' being corrected

Another case in Spain -- one of at least three -- is that of the Palau de les Arts in Valencia, for whose bad roofing design he was sued, and which is about to feature in an upcoming Discovery Channel report on architectural 'failures'.

Pretty and damp

He was also responsible for the once-acclaimed building for Bodegas Domecq in La Rioja, which sued him because the roof leaked and there was significant rising damp (not too good for the wine therein).

Extensive expenses

They're not happy with him in Venice either. The bridge he designed and opened in 2008 was much criticised for continuous price increases arising from having to make corrections. In Amsterdam he was blamed for the fact that his bridges there (he likes bridges, evidently) rusted too fast too soon.






[Editor's note: Here are some nifty bridges, not by Calatrava (Yes, I like bridges, too):