The nickname of Calatrava’s transportation hub at the World Trade Center is Oculus.
The Oculus is the above-ground headhouse of the World Trade Center Transportation Hub in Lower Manhattan. Designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, its white steel ribs spread outward like the wings of a bird or the shape of an eye. The PATH station and its connected concourses opened in stages beginning in 2016.
The name refers specifically to the dramatic station house, not to the entire PATH station or the wider World Trade Center complex. The formal name is the World Trade Center Transportation Hub, while “Oculus” is the memorable public name used for its architectural centerpiece.
A common mix-up is choosing One World Trade Center, Freedom Tower, or the 9/11 Memorial. Those are separate landmarks: One World Trade Center is the skyscraper, the 9/11 Memorial honors the victims, and the Oculus is the transit hub’s distinctive station building. The hub connects PATH trains with New York City subway lines and Lower Manhattan walkways.