City of Arts and Sciences: here everyone will find a lot of interesting things

This outstandingly beautiful architectural complex quickly became popular among the inhabitants of Spanish Valencia, although there were ongoing disputes around its structure. The authors of the project managed to place an oceanarium, a planetarium, an opera house and other interesting objects in a small area. Today we will talk about one of the attractions of Valencia - the City of Arts and Sciences.

The city of arts and sciences was built on the site of the dry riverbed of the Turia and organically fit into the panorama of the city. It all started at the end of the last century, when Jose Maria Lopez Pinro, professor at the University of Valencia, proposed building a science museum on the site of a drained riverbed. The architects and designers of the unique complex are Santiago Calatrava and Felix Candela. During the discussion of the project, other objects were added to the building of the scientific museum, so this place turned into a whole city where scientific and cultural objects with a unique look are concentrated in a limited area. The buildings are built of white concrete and glass, and ceramic mosaics are used as cladding.

Prince Filipe Science Museum

This museum was created for schoolchildren and all those who are interested in science. It occupies the largest building in the complex (area 40,000 sq m). Its shape resembles the skeleton of a huge whale. The purpose of this complex is to familiarize young visitors to the interesting world of science. All the exhibits in this center can not only be touched, but also tested in action.

Oceanarium

The oceanarium occupies 9 separate buildings, each of which houses representatives of various ecosystems of the planet. In total, in this unique complex you can see about 500 species of animals, including birds, fish and marine mammals.

Greenhouse

The greenhouse with an area of 17,500 square meters is located in the central part of the complex, and its visitors can see all the other buildings of the City of Arts and Sciences. The greenhouse has the appearance of an arched gallery, and more than 5,000 plants grow in it.

Cinema and planetarium

This hemisphere-shaped building houses a planetarium, cinema, and laser show ground. It was the building of the planetarium and cinema that was the first of all the objects of the City of Arts and Sciences, which was opened to visitors, and this happened in 1998.

Reina Sofia Palace of Arts

This grandiose building in a futuristic style is surrounded by artificial ponds. Inside there are four halls intended for opera and theater performances and music concerts.

In addition to these buildings, the City of Arts and Sciences has a grand 180-meter suspension bridge and the Agora pavilion, which hosts various exhibition events and sports competitions.

Despite the fact that critics of the project did not approve of the architectural appearance of the complex, the City of Arts and Sciences harmoniously blended with the urban landscape and became a favorite vacation spot for residents of Valencia and tourists.