Venice - Calatrava Bridge
 

Does anyone know if the Ponte Calatrava is open yet between the train station and Pizzale Roma in Venice?

It's not. There's talk that it is supposed to open some time in July, but many Venetians doubt that it will.

Everyone DOES know that the beautiful new "Ponte delle Costituzione" is open don't you? Ha Ha Ha! There was no grand opening, too much dissent, so the mayor canceled it, and at 11:48 pm on September 11th, the bridge opened for business!

Only one problem though-the bridge has....design problems. You see, the steps, lovely as they are- ARE MADE OF GLASS, AND PEOPLE ARE SLIPPING AND SLIDING WHEN IT RAINS-SO NOT GOOD! LOTS OF SLIP AND FALLS-AND THEY ARE NOW TAKING COUNT EACH DAY TO SEE HOW GREAT A PROBLEM IT IS-PEOPLE ARE ALSO MISJUDGING THE STEP BECAUSE IT IS NOT CLEAR WHERE THE NEXT STEP IS LOCATED!

ONCE AGAIN, A CITY MAY HAVE TO ACT TO CORRECT YET ANOTHER CALATRAVA DESIGN-MOST VENETIANS ARE FURIOUS AT ITS 20 MILLION EURO COST-FOR SO LITTLE RETURN!

But it is quite lovely--and is a modern work of contemporary art that graces the ancient Venetian skyline now-I just have a feeling it won't last as long as the other three bridges that span the Grand Canal-it's only been open two weeks and there are too many problems already!

what on the spot comments.

i enjoy looking at his works from the outisde, but have lost respect for him as far as functionality goes.

this architect, whom everyone is just dying to have one of his icon works, .. does not give a darn about safety.. the disabled, or even fire regulations. the cities re-pays all his re-design expenses.

most of his designs are practically "unbuildable" so he is constantly rectifying everything, bypassing any restrictions imposed on traditional architects.

it is amazing what they are allowing him to do.

one day city governors will realize there are better ways to spend the pubic´s money.

going grossly over budget is just one part of the puzzle here.

his works form a large part of what i am starting to write a speech about called "immoral public funded arhcitecure ".

i think at ground zero they are getting fed up, too, as i understand.

make that "architecture"

Lincasanova-YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, DON'T YOU?

What you said is EXACTLY the problem with "starchitect" Calatrava! He was trained as an engineer, and the lines of his bridges and other buildings are beautiful-BUT FUNCTIONAL, AND EVEN HAZARDOUS? CALATRAVA HAS HAD PROBLEM AFTER PROBLEM!

Even in his OWN home city of Valencia, they actually had to hire a Japanese architect to "fix" the problem with one of his buildings-I believe Calatrava sued to try and prevent this, but the city council said no, it was necessary!

The Ponte in Venezia is a lovely red underpinning, but really? Steps made of glass? And when you are coming or going from Piazzale Roma over to the train station and back you cannot take your rolling heavy carts on this bridge-there's a sign that says the maximum weight-and it is only very light carts-so one can legitimately ask, what good is it?other than an exceptionally beautiful, esthetic work of art?

One could say, it's just one more Calatrava folly!