We are winding down our trip across the Iberian Peninsula with a quick side trip to Valencia. In particular, I am curious to see the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències by Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela. In as much as I mistakenly thought of Gaudí as a kind of one-off sculptor as architect, I thought Calatrava was more of an engineer than designer – though it may be Calatrava’s fortune that his Ciutat is separated from the rest of Valencia by the old Turia riverbed park.
Still the shapes and surfaces are so reminiscent of Gaudí that it’s hard to stop reading the paraphrasing. From north to south as we approach them, the complex includes: a concert hall (El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, 1995-2005), an IMAX theater and planetarium (L’Hemisfèric, 1996-98), a science museum (El Museu de les Cièncias Príncipe Felipe, 2000), and a performance space (L’Àgora, 2009) – L’Àgora is visually separated from the other three by a cable-stayed bridge, the Pont de Assut de l'Or (2008), with it's surprising curved tower.
We cannot enter the Palau, but L’Hemisfèric doors are open – butterfly style doors. The interior is remarkably cool despite the abundant sunlight, as the glass “scales” are not sealed, and there is a cool breeze from the wide pools. The detailing, the quality of the light, and the views out are all fascinating.
We also enter the Museu, but not the actual science museum area; the side aisle contains the cafe and gift shops, and is open from end to end. Here, the scale, and the shapes of the structure are so reminiscent of Sagrada - even the end structures are reminiscent of the Passion façade.
Exiting the south end of the Museu, the Pont and L’Àgora come into full view. These act almost as backdrops to the other buildings, as there are no pools or activities to enliven the spaces. We make our way back through L'Umbracle, a lacy structure that frames a long terrace of trees and seating areas, with views out and back to the Ciutat.
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