City of Arts and Sciences, Modern architectural complex in Valencia, Spain
The City of Arts and Sciences is a complex of six buildings in the former Turia riverbed, stretching over two kilometers. The structures display curved white facades and are surrounded by shallow reflecting pools that act as mirrors.
The project was first proposed in 1989 by Valencian president Joan Lerma after a visit to the Cité des sciences in Paris, and construction began in late 1994. Work was halted after a change of government, then resumed in 1997 under Santiago Calatrava's revised design. The Hemisfèric opened in 1998, and the Palau de les Arts was inaugurated in 2005.
L'Hemisfèric, opened in 1998, combines an IMAX cinema, planetarium and laserium inside a form modelled on a giant eye; its shutter of aluminium awnings folds up to reveal the dome. L'Umbracle, a 320-metre landscaped walk, holds the Walk of the Sculptures, with works by Yoko Ono, Miquel of Navarre and Francesc Abbot among others.
Individual tickets for each building or combination passes for multiple venues are available. For the Oceanogràfic, plan at least four hours to see the facilities.
The Oceanogràfic houses 45,000 specimens from 500 species in seven marine environments and ranks as the largest facility of its kind in Europe. Open-air tunnels let visitors walk beneath the swimming paths of the animals.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,381 contributors worldwide.
