THE DIFFICULTY OF HORIZONTAL PROJECTS.

THE DIFFICULTY OF HORIZONTAL PROJECTS. I posted several times, including here, on the proposed Chicago Spire, which was going to be the country’s tallest building. This interview by Blair Kamin with Santiago Calatrava, its architect, indicates that construction on the Spire was halted last year and that: “Many observers presume it to be dead.” Calatrava is still optimistic that the Spire will be built. The Spire is to be not only tall, but also twisted. And yet, in the interview, Calatrava speaks of the difficulties of horizontal projects rather than of vertical projects. Kamin quotes Calatrava about his proposed ground zero transit hub: “‘These horizontal buildings are enormously complex’ because they must navigate an underground maze of city services and utilities.”