Santiago Calatrava's designs for DIA take flight

There's been a lot of talk about whether Denver can afford to build the set of designs by Santiago Calatrava done for the expansion of Denver International Airport. The reason? Times are hard, and the Calatrava pieces are projected to cost around $650 million. The Spanish-born, New York-based architectural genius...

By Michael Paglia

July 30, 2010

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There's been a lot of talk about whether Denver can afford to build the set of designs by Santiago Calatrava done for the expansion of Denver International Airport. The reason? Times are hard, and the Calatrava pieces are projected to cost around $650 million.

The Spanish-born, New York-based architectural genius has come up with plans for a variety of new structures. There's a stunning -- and signature Calatrava -- gateway-bridge over Pena Boulevard that would carry light-rail trains. Then, at the airport itself, there's a multi-modal transportation station for trains and buses.

Related Content: Read Michael's first-ever column about DIA artwork, "Flying Blind: The Art at DIA is Mostly DOA," from March 8, 1995.

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Michael Paglia is an art historian and writer whose columns have appeared in Westword since 1995; his essays on the visual arts have also been published in national periodicals including Art News, Architecture, Art Ltd., Modernism, Art & Auction and Sculpture Magazine. He taught art history at the University of Colorado Denver.

Contact: Michael Paglia