​VALENCIA, PAST and FUTURE

March 9, 2018

VALENCIA, PAST and FUTURE


Ranking as third Spain's biggest city, it gathers together ancient monuments, mainly of Gothic style like towers, churches, silk exchange building, etc, elegant buildings of early twentieth century, many with Art Deco decorations, and the futuristic complex of the City of Arts and Sciences, an entertainment-based cultural and architectural complex, situated at the end of the former riverbed of the river Turia, which was drained and rerouted.
The complex comprises:
  • L'Hemisfèric (1998) — Cinema, planetarium and laserium, meant to resemble a giant eye, Its design resembling an eyelid that opens to access the surrounding water pool. The bottom of the pool is glass, creating the illusion of the eye as a whole.
  • El Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe (2000) — Is an interactive museum of science that resembles the skeleton of a whale. It occupies around 40,000 m² on three floors. The building is made up of three floors . The first floor has a view of the Turia Garden that surrounds it. The second floor hosts “The Legacy of Science” exhibition by the researchers. The third floor is known as the “Chromosome Forest” which shows the sequencing of human DNA. Also on this floor is the “Zero Gravity,” the “Space Academy,” and “Marvel Superheroes” exhibitions. The building’s architecture is known for its geometry, structure, use of materials, and its design around nature.
  • L'Umbracle (2001) — an open structure enveloping a landscaped walk with plant species indigenous to Valencia (such as rockrose, lentisca, rosemary, lavender, honeysuckle, bougainvillea, palm tree). It harbors in its interior The Walk of the Sculptures, an outdoor art gallery with sculptures by contemporary artists.
  • L'Oceanogràfic (2003) — an open-air oceanographic park, designed by Félix Candela. It is the largest oceanographic aquarium in Europe with 110,000 square meters and 42 million liters of water. It was built in the shape of a water lily. Each building represents different aquatic environments including the Mediterranean, Wetlands, Temperate and Tropical Seas, Oceans, the Antarctic, the Arctic, Islands and the Ted Sea. This aquarium is a home to over 500 different species including dolphins, belugas, sawfish, jellyfish, starfish, sea urchins, walruses, sea lions, seals, penguins, turtles, sharks,and rays. It also inhabits wetland bird species.