New WTC Station design question

[NJTRailfan]

I saw the plans that Santiago Calatrava had come up with to re design at the World Trade Center but I was just wondering, Wasn't there other ideas as well? His is supposed to look like a dove being released from a child's hand. The design has now been shortened a bit and modified like less glass in the ceiling area due to security reasons and that Larry Silverstein complained about some portion interfering with the airspace of where one of his buildings is supposed to go.

I remember that when the WTC designs were being picked NY Post and other papers showed a dozen different versions on how it could look like when the Towers were being rebuilt. Were there more than one design for the station as well, or was this it? I would think more then one would come in such as the ones who threw in their designs for the towers which included the firm that built both the Sears and John Hancock in Chicago. At least the station will be ready in 2009. Can't wait to see it.

[Tom V]

There was never a public competition or public comment period for the transit hub as there were for all the other aspects of the site. The Port Authority from day one stated they would select their own person, which they did. There has only been one design; never any competitions.

Now, while some of the people like Libeskind who were making site plans came up with their own ideas of what a station might look like, they were never hired to design any aspect of the station.

It's been the Port Authority and Calatrava all the way; the only design change has been more beams or ribs and less glass to protect from bomb blasts.

If you haven't already, check this site for updates.

[NJTRailfan]

That's too bad the PA didn't diversify the designs like amongst other people like Lord Norman Foster who designed or from the people who designed the two famous skyscrapers in Chicago. I was hoping for a design that would use elements of the old NYP. not exactly to look like the structure but to have the elements that would make it look like it belonged to the city rather aka "Old New York" then this ultra modern stuff. I would love to see a structure not only have these airy spaces with glass skylights 150 ft off the ground but with columns and statues with the old school lamposts inside like what the old NYP had which is what can be done easily and to have a great shopping arcade that would be uniform with the station instead of being out of place like with the current NYP.
Not to mention sitting areas with relaxing water fountains.

I mean this will be the the hub not only for PATH and about a dozen Subway Lines but also in the future a possibility of direct rail access to JFK, LGA or even LIRR access.