2024

MAIN SWITCHBOARD TERMINAL

Stations and subways to visit
4.8/5
50 reviews
Huge station of more than 40 m high in the Beaux-Arts style housing an ... Read more
2024

THE OCULUS - WORLD TRADE CENTER TRANSPORTATION HUB

Stations and subways to visit
4.6/5
10 reviews

No less than 11 metros have a stop in this huge station, called Oculus, which is also a station for commuter trains. The station itself has been in existence since 1909. It was then razed to the ground and rebuilt in 1971 as part of the huge World Trade Center construction site, before being destroyed again in 2001, this time because of the September 11 attacks. While part of the station was partially reopened in 2003 to facilitate the travel of tens of thousands of New Yorkers, the Oculus architectural project, which includes a shopping centre and numerous metro stations, was not inaugurated until March 2016. Designed by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, the Oculus is supposed to look like a bird flying from the hands of a child. On the first drafts, the two wings had to move (an idea that Calatrava had already explored, since the Milwaukee Art Museum, from its design, is similar to a white phoenix that flaps its wings!), but the project had already far exceeded its initial budget, so this feature was abandoned. During its construction, the building will have been the focus of repeated controversies. At issue is its cost: $4 billion, paid in full with New Yorkers' taxes! In the heart of the station, a huge 7,000 square metre hall all in immaculate white and featuring two floors of numerous luxury boutiques, a two-storey Apple Store and a few restaurants.

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