7. Santiago Calatrava Said He Wanted to Design a Train Station So Simple His Mother Could Navigate It

Santiago Calatrava, who lives in New York City, told Architectural Digest, “I have always said, ‘I will build a station that my mother can find her way around very easily and comfortably.’ Why? Because finding one’s way in a station is essential. The idea of going down into the ground through long escalators, entering dim places, this is our everyday life in New York. But does it have to be so dark? I wanted to create a place that delivers the people a sense of comfort through its orientation, while also delivering a sense of security by opening everything to the naked eye.”

The final verdict on the ease of navigation within the new Transportation Hub can only be fully made once the main entrances open, from Church Street and from within the World Trade Center grid. For now, the main atrium leads downwards to the PATH station which seems simple enough.