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Santiago Calatrava: Liege-Guillemins TGV Railway Station
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September 24, 2009
Last Friday, Santiago Calatrava has unveiled one of his most ambitious architectural projects to date; the Liège-Guillemins TGV Railway Station in Belgium. Designed by Calatrava to meet the demands of high-speed travel, the station will bring new life into the industrial city of Liège, while positioning it as the epicenter of the North European High-Speed Network The grand opening was presided over by: Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy, international dignitaries and members of the royal family, including Prince Philippe of Belgium. Also participating in the celebration were members of the press and representatives from Euro Liège TGV and SNCB Holding including Jean-Claude Fontinoy (president), Jannie Haek (CEO) and Vincent Bourlard (general manager). Calatrava was first commissioned to design the new Liège-Guillemins Station in 1996, after Euro Liège TGV determined that the existing station was unsuitable for the demands of high-speed rail travel. Immediately, the starchitect was faced with a seemingly impossible task; replacing the existing station without interrupting train service or disturbing the 36,000 people who frequent the facility on a daily basis. Using a technique normally employed in bridge construction, Calatrava was able to accommodate this request, while preserving the integrity of his design.
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