Function or Aesthetics?

When I was an architecture student, I used to admire Santiago Calatrava. I used to find his works fascinating, very artistic, sculptural. He gets inspired from natural forms like Gaudi used to do and he turns these forms into engineering wonders.

Since he projected more than 40 beautiful bridges, he is famous with this and when a city wants a bridge which will bring a certain fame, the name of Calatrava comes to mind immediately. That's what happened in Venice.

The bridge Calatrava projected for Venice is situated on a strategical point, between the train station and Piazzale Roma where there is bus terminal. These two places are the only connection of Venezia with outside world (except Cruise Ships). Someone can enter Venice either from train station or from Piazzale Roma. Considering that Venice receives 50.000 tourists a day, you can imagine the crowd of tourists with trolleys and suitcases crossing the bridge.

Last year when I was a student in Venice, I lived in Mestre (it's a city in the mainland of Venice) and I used to come to Venice every morning for school by train. I had to cross the Calatrava's bridge to reach my university. Almost every single day of the year, in every meteorological condition, I crossed that bridge seeing how many people slipped and fell on the ground with their suitcases, how many people stumbled, how many old people or disabled called for assistance to cross it. The bridge has received many criticism because Calatrava didn't consider access for disabled people, they had to project a mobility lift system incurring large costs which was supposed to be installed in 2010 but still no progress.  

Well...not only disabled or elderly people but Calatrava didn't consider anyone who would cross this bridge, he didn't consider the weather conditions of Venice, he didn't consider the correct length and width of the steps...This bridge is a DISASTER!

There are many steps embedded in the pavement so it's a continuous climb, some steps are large some are narrow. Narrow steps are too large for a single pace ; if you walk with a natural pace length, you risk to fall down so you need to walk with very large paces opening your legs good with a lot of attention. Larger steps instead are too short for two paces...and the length of the steps changes often, when you organise your paces according to single steps, suddenly they become double , then single again. Since it's all the same material it cheats you optically, all the steps look the same. You always have to watch out on the bridge.

Then the glass material he used...Venice is humid and cold in winter, especially in the morning most of the times there's ice on the ground. Calatrava's bridge is slippery even without ice though. All winter they put salt on it!

Calatrava, as an experienced architect, how could he do these simple mistakes? Did he become the victim of his fame? Beauty is important but function is A LOT MORE important, especially on a bridge. He defend himself like this : "My work is limited to the aesthetic,I had no influence in the selection of the contracting company that built the structure. A lot of things have happened that are out of my hands." He chose the materials, he drew the bridge...How can the work of an architect be limited only to the aesthetics?