City of Arts & Sciences
Author Vertica DvivediPosted on The City of Arts and Sciences is a futuristic city designed by Ar. Santiago Calatrava and Ar. Felix Candela. It is built on the dried up river bed of the Turia river and is built as a cultural and science hub. It is one of the most famous and amazing works of architecture…
The City of Arts and Sciences is a futuristic city designed by Ar. Santiago Calatrava and Ar. Felix Candela. It is built on the dried up river bed of the Turia river and is built as a cultural and science hub. It is one of the most famous and amazing works of architecture in the modern world spanning across an area of 350,000m2. The complex houses several structures, the most significant being L’hemispheric (Planetarium), Science museum, an Opera house and performing Arts center, an Oceanographic studio. Each of the buildings has its own concept and responds to different features.
L’hemispheric is designed as a giant eye. The shutter is built of elongated aluminium awnings that fold upward collectively to form a brise-soleil (Louvre) roof that opens along the curved axis of the roof. It opens to reveal the pupil of the eye which is the Ominax theatre.
“As the site is close to the sea, and Valencia is so dry, I decided to make water a major element for the whole site using it as a mirror for the architecture.” Ar. Santiago Calatrava
Ar. Santiago Calatrava
Ar. Calatrava is a Zurich based architect born in 1951. He is classed among the elite designers over the world not only for his amazing architectural master pieces but also as an engineer, a painter and a sculptor. Calatrava’s style has been heralded as bridging the division between structural engineering and architecture. His significant projects include the Athens Olympic Sports Complex, Auditorio de Tenerife, Auditorio de Tenerife, Alamillo bridge, Chords Bridge and of course The City of Arts and Sciences, Spain. Some of the awards he received include AIA Gold Medal, IStructE Gold Medal, Eugene McDermott Award, Prince of Asturias Award, Auguste Perret Prize and more.
Take a close look at the magnificient creation, perfection, how the materials & design blend with each other when a Sculptor cum Architect cum Engineer cum Painter touches a project…
El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia is an Opera house and performing arts centre. It is surrounded by 87,000 square meters of landscape and water, as well as 10,000 square meters of walking area. The building has a metallic feather outer roof that rests on two supports and is 230 meters long and 70 meters high. One of the supports allows for part of the building to overhang. The building is supported by white concrete.
Words are not enough to express the beauty and spontaneity of the experience! I can just say…, anything that meets the eye goes directly to the part of the brain where the memory is permanent! Rest, we leave it to the readers, to enjoy the beauty of architecture, in photographs, as much as we enjoyed clicking them!