tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post3550327729860237331..comments2024-03-28T07:52:07.647-04:00Comments on venezia blog: Calatrava's Troubled Bridge Over the Grand CanalSteven Varni, aka Sig. Nonlosohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10066672605318740533noreply@blogger.comBlogger26125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-5175564045227429632018-06-18T09:04:12.659-04:002018-06-18T09:04:12.659-04:00The Ciudad in Valencia will bleed the town dry unt...The Ciudad in Valencia will bleed the town dry until it is torn down. 10 years ago I remember seeing concrete and tile cracks and blue tarps all over it. Everything from the rediculois garbage can holders in the worthless parabolic arcade up to the concrete cantilevered spear on the Guppy building (thought it was the aquarium..... Not!). I propose breaking off the spear and poking it in the ground below as a permanent monument to Calatrava's calamity.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13598898757689392415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-46478912874177440972017-01-25T10:35:15.293-05:002017-01-25T10:35:15.293-05:00Perhaps Calatrava's one of the great contempor...Perhaps Calatrava's one of the great contemporary examples of form at the expense of function, Guy? Yes, his projects sure look good as models and in promotional materials, but in terms of actually being put to use.... The return on investment is disastrous--and the investment is ongoing and excessive.Steven Varni, aka Sig. Nonlosohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10066672605318740533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-24381760035168016202017-01-11T22:00:34.892-05:002017-01-11T22:00:34.892-05:00Hi
He did a bridge for us in Calgary that has had...Hi<br /><br />He did a bridge for us in Calgary that has had a number of design challenges.<br /><br />http://www.calgarysun.com/2016/10/25/new-peace-bridge-lights-to-cost-700000<br /><br />The city is also at fault because it was probably not needed in it's current locationt and it promoted jaywalking across a very busy street. It looks lovely however and is photographed for all our promotional material.<br /><br />Regards<br />GuyGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12546069846136464138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-72273579501789378072014-01-23T04:23:06.620-05:002014-01-23T04:23:06.620-05:00You provide some interesting information, Larry, w...You provide some interesting information, Larry, which makes me think Calatrava doesn't much concern himself with "little things" such as the Coefficient of Friction. But just imagine if you could secure accounts to provide anti-slip tape for every misbegotten bridge designed by Calatrava around the world! You'd probably have a steady supply of more orders than you could keep up with. For the sake of those who commission him, though, let's hope he re-thinks his use of glass. Venice doesn't even have the money for schools, much less anti-slip tape. Steven Varni, aka Sig. Nonlosohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10066672605318740533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-82368013829198194952014-01-23T04:13:25.755-05:002014-01-23T04:13:25.755-05:00Calatrava's reputation preceded him, Steve, an...Calatrava's reputation preceded him, Steve, and he was commissioned to do the bridge at a time when that reputation stood for elegant eye-catching designs--especially of bridges. I just wonder if that reputation can withstand this latest barrage of information about how his designs actually fare in the real world, rather than on paper or in computer simulations. People are bound to have different opinions on the aesthetics of the bridge, but the fact that it just doesn't work as a bridge and continues to be a big financial drain... There were reports that before the bridge, a person in a wheelchair could actually get to the train station from Piazzale Roma much faster on the boats provided to get them across the canal than they can now using the "egg", which is supposed to be functioning now, finally, but takes a very very long time to simply get across the canal. Steven Varni, aka Sig. Nonlosohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10066672605318740533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-66136192842222401052014-01-20T06:23:46.144-05:002014-01-20T06:23:46.144-05:00Glass is a lethal surface, levels of grip are meas...Glass is a lethal surface, levels of grip are measured by Coefficient of Friction (the higher the level the lower the slip risk), to use glass even in dry, internal areas as a walkway is a no-no, but to use it externally with no roof, in exposed conditions (where it can freeze) and on an incline is complete insanity! UKSRG guidelines stipulate a minimum CoF level (using Pendulum) of 36 in wet conditions. I am an anti slip tape consultant and thought that this was really interesting, I have wrote an article, it can be seen at http://www.heskins.com/blog/slippery-glass-on-venice-bridge/ Larry Longtonhttp://www.heskins.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-24898025162424657632014-01-13T23:08:20.735-05:002014-01-13T23:08:20.735-05:00Seeing as it took forever for La Fenice to be repa...Seeing as it took forever for La Fenice to be repaired one has to wonder how anyone would let Calatrava design and build anything in Venice at all. <br /><br />Maybe a bike rack in front of the train station ...<br /><br />This travesty is like a McMansion in the middle of St. Marks Square. Vomit inducing, like most modern art. Oppressive, defies criticism and a reflection of the artist's insecurities. <br /><br />Solution is to tear the dam(ed thing down and start over with a design that is Venetian. It can't be hard, a bright child could do it: a central cycloidal arch made of hard stone, ramps on both sides inclined toward the center with smooth granite paving, not steps. Decorate with soffits, quoins, crockets, moldings, ogee, etc. to taste. Design the bridge wide enough to accommodate carts so venders can sell their trinkets. Steve From Virginiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04002636865996847926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-46964477694370469422013-11-17T05:43:52.242-05:002013-11-17T05:43:52.242-05:00I think the shape of a the proposed replacement wo...I think the shape of a the proposed replacement would be similar, though I can't recall where I've seen it. But I hope no change will be made any time soon, simply because there's no money for it, and whatever money there is could be better spent--on schools, for example. Steven Varni, aka Sig. Nonlosohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10066672605318740533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-658115285169813212013-11-11T16:26:19.346-05:002013-11-11T16:26:19.346-05:00The wooden one is much more attractive than the Br...The wooden one is much more attractive than the British designed iron one it replaced. I hope that the shape of any replacement will be similar to what is presently there.Andrewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-7150152120635564192013-11-11T05:04:22.716-05:002013-11-11T05:04:22.716-05:00Yes, as you say on the other post, Gijs, it is an ...Yes, as you say on the other post, Gijs, it is an example of Venice's enslavement to mass tourism; an example that is particularly galling as more and more studies show that the number of tourists in the city must be reduced, while those who run the city (not the mayor, but the Port Authority, for example) devote themselves to increasing the flow, and getting them in and out of the city ever more quickly. The Port Authority and the airport make their money on sheer numbers of people moving in and out of the city, and remain committed to it, in spite of consequences.Steven Varni, aka Sig. Nonlosohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10066672605318740533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-58751396635546941462013-11-11T04:57:36.579-05:002013-11-11T04:57:36.579-05:00The city claims the Accademia bridge has become to...The city claims the Accademia bridge has become too costly to maintain--as costly as the Calatrava bridge? I sincerely doubt it. As you can read here (http://happypontist.blogspot.it/2011/08/outcry-over-plan-to-rebuild-ponte.html), the bridge was rebuilt as a steel bridge in 1986 and the wood of the original design has been more decorative than actually functional since that time.<br /><br />Given the fine job the city has done with the Calatrava bridge, would anyone really trust them to replace the Accademia at this point? Steven Varni, aka Sig. Nonlosohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10066672605318740533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-59489085151006759862013-11-11T04:47:41.826-05:002013-11-11T04:47:41.826-05:00I think you can rest assured that the bridge is a ...I think you can rest assured that the bridge is a problem for people of all ages, Capturing Venice. I keep thinking I'll "get the hang of it", but I have the same problems you described. It seems to be that the very low profile of the steps makes them all appear almost to be on one level, as you say, as you descend. Also since some steps are two panels deep and others are only one panel deep, you can't really be sure whether you should be expecting an actual step down at the edge of a panel or simply another panel. But I don't think Calatrava designs for the "real world" or actual people in it--both of which his practice suggests are beneath his consideration.Steven Varni, aka Sig. Nonlosohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10066672605318740533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-5198580029555107552013-11-11T04:40:56.095-05:002013-11-11T04:40:56.095-05:00At the very least, Francesco, I've been thinki...At the very least, Francesco, I've been thinking that the old practice of running people like him through a gauntlet from the Piazza to the Rialto deserves to be resurrected.Steven Varni, aka Sig. Nonlosohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10066672605318740533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-10594348993277425492013-11-11T04:39:51.259-05:002013-11-11T04:39:51.259-05:00That is an amazing figure, Bert--especially in a t...That is an amazing figure, Bert--especially in a town in which school kids must supply their own toilet paper, classrooms are left unpainted & unmaintained from one year to the next, and the kids' desks are a mismatched collection of whatever can be scraped together along with a random assortment of kitchen chairs for them to sit on. I've thought of writing a post on the way one can't help but feel at times that the economic model for the city of Venice has become that of some destitute cruise ship port in the Carribbean.Steven Varni, aka Sig. Nonlosohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10066672605318740533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-65275646627064139602013-11-11T04:33:05.292-05:002013-11-11T04:33:05.292-05:00Why do I have the feeling, Yvonne, that his lawyer...Why do I have the feeling, Yvonne, that his lawyers will be awfully clever indeed? And, yes, that's been my big problem with the bridge: for all it costs, it just doesn't hold up or look very good. In spite of all the money Venice must spend on its upkeep, perhaps they still aren't spending enough?Steven Varni, aka Sig. Nonlosohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10066672605318740533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-20801439019334317392013-11-11T04:30:52.663-05:002013-11-11T04:30:52.663-05:00The cult of the (usually male) genius often seems ...The cult of the (usually male) genius often seems to lead to folly, and I suppose Venice can take whatever cold comfort there is to be had from the fact that many other places who paid Calatrava are faced with similar problems and costs. Will his commissions start to decline, I wonder? Meanwhile NYC has its $4 billion dollar Calatrava train station at the WTC site--not entirely completed yet, I also wonder how the world's most expensive station will work. I wish i knew the answer to your good question about salting the bridge, Susie. I can't imagine it would be recommended, given the materials. Steven Varni, aka Sig. Nonlosohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10066672605318740533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-79320010413025174592013-11-11T04:20:13.403-05:002013-11-11T04:20:13.403-05:00Well, perhaps by suggesting that the Byzantine emp...Well, perhaps by suggesting that the Byzantine empire survived beyond 1453 Brodsky was in fact demonstrating that he did indeed "know Venice as one one else can" (or would even want to)--not accurately, that is, but in his own peculiarly self-absorbed and untrustworthy way. Steven Varni, aka Sig. Nonlosohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10066672605318740533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-43418884408956510412013-11-11T02:52:39.538-05:002013-11-11T02:52:39.538-05:00I wonder what the maintenance costs are for the wo...I wonder what the maintenance costs are for the wooden Accademia bridge?Andrewnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-43524419352376534742013-11-09T23:13:01.899-05:002013-11-09T23:13:01.899-05:00Hi Sig. Nonloso, I recently climbed the Calatrava ...Hi Sig. Nonloso, I recently climbed the Calatrava bridge for the first time in the dark and I was surprised at how difficult it was to descend - it was hard to see where the 'steps' began and ended especially with the light reflecting on the stair treads. The next day I had to walk up the bridge in the rain and it was incredibly slippery. I actually thought it was old age creeping up on me so I am a little bit glad to know I'm not the only who finds it difficult the negotiate this bridge. I wouldn't like to use it on a regular basis.Capturing Venice/Capturing Paris https://www.blogger.com/profile/14033232922083621085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-38222996828781117062013-11-08T18:12:45.902-05:002013-11-08T18:12:45.902-05:00Why not leaving Calatrava publicly exposed in a ch...Why not leaving Calatrava publicly exposed in a cheba in S. Marco (very much like Jago in Othello).Francesconoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-55506364143530795832013-11-08T10:00:01.119-05:002013-11-08T10:00:01.119-05:00I gave my comment on the wrong blog (of the two gu...I gave my comment on the wrong blog (of the two guys patiently wating for their bait). Please read it as a comment on the bridge. GijsAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13842003271220258761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-43282319220900934842013-11-07T18:49:11.146-05:002013-11-07T18:49:11.146-05:00According to the Full Calatrava, the annual mainte...According to the Full Calatrava, the annual maintenance costs are 1.8 million euros! That is almost unbelievable. I can only believe it because he says the budgeted maintenance costs were 740,000 euros. How can the maintenance of the bridge cost that much? If either figure is correct, surely it would be cheaper in the short run, never mind the long run, to demolish it. I cannot see how it would cost 1.8 million euros to demolish it. Perhaps Lake Havasu, Arizona, might buy it. When the lowest tender for a job like this is accepted, they should ask the people who submitted the highest tender to explain why the lowest tender will never come in on budget.Berthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04432970663201300004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-41168537229748333012013-11-06T21:48:01.642-05:002013-11-06T21:48:01.642-05:00Growl, I hope Signor Calatrava doesn't get awa...Growl, I hope Signor Calatrava doesn't get away without paying through the nose for this structure that has been on the nose from before it was ever opened. The glass panels not only become treacherously slippery at the mention of moisture, they soon became scuffed, scratched and downright ugly to look at. <br /><br />Well, lets' see how clever his lawyers are ....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-31926028281866418432013-11-06T13:26:25.334-05:002013-11-06T13:26:25.334-05:00What an interesting post. I knew there were a numb...What an interesting post. I knew there were a number of problems, but to this extent? Appalling. Although I have to wonder how glass treads ever got approved in the first place. Anyone who has crossed a Venetian bridge during frost or inclement weather would be wary of glass treads. Does the bridge get salted in the winter?Susie Lhttp://www.marklindsayart.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151589473709505648.post-13163589230022942432013-11-06T03:40:50.580-05:002013-11-06T03:40:50.580-05:00 to show the film crew, I mean. to show the film crew, I mean.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com