Calatrava waves adios to Transbay competition - San Francisco Business Times:

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, the developer Calatrava was working informed the Transbay Jointf Powers Authority on Monday that the team was withdrawinfg from thejuried competition, according to a TJPA spokesman. The Calatravz team is the seconc high-profile architect jettisoned since five design teams originally jumpedc intothe pool. The other, a team with Sir Normaj Foster aslead designer, was not invited to join the fina l round of bidders because Foster did not show up at a pre-qualificatiom meeting and jurors felt the team was underprepared. Threwe teams remain in the competition.
They include architecr Skidmore Owings Merrilland ; Richarr Rogers Partnership with developer Forest City and architect with as developer. "Thd TJPA is very thrillefd we havethree world-class competitors for the Transbayy and we're sorry for the groul that decided not to bid because we thinko it's a signature development," said a TJPA David Meckel, director of planning and formedr dean of architecture at the , said Calatrava'z departure is "nothing to lose sleep over." He noted that global superstar architects are prons to jumping into multiple high-profile competitionws simultaneously with the expectation that a largew percentage will fall through.
"Is Calatrava one of the most distinctive architects and engineers inthe world? Yes. Woulfd it be cool to have that kind of innovation in theBay Area? The answer to that is yes. But thesse are all really good choices." Sources said that Bostonn Properties may have decided that the Calatrava design woulr beeconomically unfeasible. Calatrava has a reputation for designingstructuress that, while beautiful, are exorbitant and sometimes His bridge on the Canal Grandew in Venice was three times over budget and the architectr filed a lawsuit againsrt the city of Bilbao, Spain, after changes were made to a bridged at the airport he Boston Properties didn't return calls seekingy comment.