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Architectural historian David Watkin, in A History of Western Architecture, has written about Calatrava's 1994 TGV Railway station (known as "the bird") at Lyon-Satolas France:

"With vast, functionless wings stretching high up into the air above the concourse, this High Tech fantasy is indebted to a chain of abstract sculptural buildings such as Saarinen's Kennedy Airport, though Calatrava has also claimed that is was inspired by Salvador Dali's painting of melting watches."

Other notable Calatrava works include: BCE Place, Galleria and Heritage Square, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; the Kuwait Pavilion, Expo '92, Seville, Spain; and the Lyon (France) Airport Railway Station. His sculptures and sketches have been featured in exhibitions all over the world.

Born in Valencia in 1951, Santiago Calatrava began developing his unique approach to architecture and sculpture during his studies at the Escuela Tecnica Superior de Arquitectura de Valencia. After receiving a Ph.D. in technical service from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Calatrava established his own practice in Zurich in 1981.

In addition to receiving the award, Calatrava's relationship with the Meadows School of the Arts will continue with an exhibit at the opening of the new Meadows Museum building in March 2001. Entitled "Poetics of Movement: The Architecture of Santiago Calatrava," the exhibit will also include Calatrava's bridges, sculptures, watercolors, photographs, and drawings.

Located on the SMU campus, the museum houses one of the finest collections of Spanish art outside of Spain.

Calatrava's Meadows Award acceptance is one of the many highlights of the Meadows School of the Arts' "Bridging Cultures: A Year of Spanish Art and Tradition at SMU." The events will relate to the culture, traditions, and history of Spain through lectures, performances, screenings, and exhibitions.

Presented annually, the Algur H. Meadows Award for Excellence in the Arts honors the accomplishments of an artist at the pinnacle of a distinguished career. It is funded by The Meadows Foundation to support "excellence in education, art and life." Previous awards have gone to artists such as Ingmar Bergman, Martha Graham, John Houseman, Arthur Miller, Leontyne Price, and Mstislav Rostropovich.

The City of Science Museum and Palnetarium. Valencia, Spain. Photo: Southern Methodist University The Campo Volantin Footbridge is a short walk along the river from the Guggenheim Bilbao by Frank Gehry. GreatBuildings.com Photo © Artifice, Inc. The structure of the Campo Volantin Footbridgeis an inclined parabolic arch. GreatBuildings.com Photo © Artifice, Inc. Campo Volantin Footbridge GreatBuildings.com Photo © Artifice, Inc. The Stadelhofen Railway Station features a curving, glass-roofed canopy developed with counterpoised steel. GreatBuildings.com Photo © Artifice, Inc. An interior view of the Calatrava's Stadelhofen Railway Station. GreatBuildings.com Photo © Artifice, Inc.   Click on thumbnail images to view full-size pictures.