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City of Arts and Sciences. Photo by samboep-

Top 10 Interesting Facts about City of Arts and Sciences

The city of Arts and Science is a cultural and architectural complex in the city of Valencia, Spain and the most modern tourist destination in the city of Valencia and one of the 12 Treasures of Spain.

It is located at the southeast end of the former riverbed of the river Turia. It combines an ensemble of many areas; L鈥橦emisferic, Museu de les Ciencies Principe Felipe, L鈥橴mbracle, L鈥橭ceanografic, Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia, Montolivet Bridge, Assut de l鈥橭r Bridge, Valencia Towers and L鈥橝gora.

Learn more about the City of Arts and Science in these top 10 interesting facts.

1. The origin of the City of Art and Science

The president of the Valencian Autonomous Government, Joan Lerma, visited the new Cite des Science et de I鈥橧ndustrie in 麻豆APP in 1989.

 After the visit, the general director of planning and studies of the presidency of the Generalitat Valenciana, Dr. Jose Maria Bernabe, officially commissioned the scientist Dr. Antonio Ten Ros to draft the first proposal for a City of Science and Technology for Valencia.

Dr. Antonio Ten Ros assembled a team of 56 scientists, museologists and designers, including professor Jose Maria Lopez Pinero, as responsible for the space 鈥淎 walk through history.鈥� Ten Ros represented the draft in 32 volumes to president Lerma in the palace of the Generalitat on December 21, 1991.

In May 1991, the council approved the transfer of lands; four months later, the project plan with three structures was presented, designed by Santiago Calatrava. Preliminary site work began by the end of 1994.

2. The City of Arts and Science Was Designed by Two Architects

Aerial of the City of the Arts and Sciences in Valencia (2009). Photo by Jcca76-

The building was designed by Santiago Calatrava and Felix Candela. The projects began the first stages of construction in July 1996 and, on April 16, 1998, the opening of L鈥橦emisferic.

Felix Candela was responsible for designing the L’Oceanografic park, the largest oceanographic park in Europe.

3. The City of Arts and Sciences Inauguration

The complex opened its doors to the public with L鈥橦emisferic in April 1998. Eleven months later, the president of Valencia, Eduardo Zaplana, inaugurated the Museu de les Ciencies Principe Felipe, although it was not yet finished.

The museum was opened to the public twenty months later. On December 12, 2002, it was the opening of L鈥橭ceanografic, the largest aquarium built in Europe.

On October 8, 2005, it was the inauguration of the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia which became the Opera house of Valencia.

4. It Took Nearly a Decade to Build

An image of this famous architectural complex designed by Santiago Calatrava during twilight. Photo by kuhnmi-

The work of constructing the City Arts and Science began in 1996, and the first complex was L鈥橦emisferic and the recent building completed was the L鈥橝gora. It was inaugurated in 2009.

5. It Has the Largest Aquarium in Europe

On December 12, 2002, an open-air oceanographic park, L鈥橭ceanografic, was opened and is the largest oceanographic aquarium in Europe, with 110,000 square meters and 42 million liters of water.

L鈥橭ceanografic was built in the shape of a water lily designed by architect Felix Candela. Each building represents different aquatic environments, including the Mediterranean, temperate and tropical seas, the Red Sea, the Arctic, the Antarctic, islands and Wetlands.

The aquarium is home to over 500 different species, including rays, sharks, penguins, seals, turtles, dolphins, belugas, sawfish, starfish, sea urchins, walruses and sea lions. The aquarium also houses wetland bird species.

6. The City of Arts and Science L鈥橦emisferic Building Resemble a Giant Eye

L’Hemisf猫ric. Photo by Ermell-

L鈥橦emisferic is an IMAX Cinema, planetarium and laserium and the centerpiece of the City of Arts and Science. The building is meant to resemble a giant eye and has an approximate surface of 13,000 square meters.

Its design resembles an eyelid that opens to access the surrounding water pool and the bottom of the pool of glass, creating the illusion of the eye as a whole. This planetarium is a half-sphere in a concrete structure 110 meters long and 55.5 meters wide.

The shutter is built of elongated aluminum awnings that fold upward collectively to form a brise soleil roof that opens along the curved axis of the eye. It opens to reveal the 鈥渋ris鈥� of the eye, which is the planetarium.

The underground spaces of L鈥橦emisferic are illuminated with the use of translucent glass panels within the walking path. The transparent roof is supported by concrete arches that connect to the sunken gallery.

The building has a remarkable echo, and if two people stand at the two opposite pillars inside of the eye, they can speak with each other.

7. The City of Arts and Science has Been Featured in Several Television and Films

The building’s futuristic landscape is perfect for the big screen and was in the 2015 film Tomorrowland showcasing its exterior scenes.

In 2016, it was used as a filming location for the British science-fiction television programme Doctor Who appearing in the second episode of the tenth series, 鈥渟mile.鈥� The location was used as the headquarter of the company DELOS in the third season of the HBO series Westworld.

Architectural elements from the site were used as a green screen backdrop for the futuristic 2720 city in the 2020 film Bill & Ted Face the Music. It’s also used as the set of the 2020 television adaptation of Brave New World. Parts of the shooting for the 2021 TV series Intergalactic are also done in the City of Arts and Sciences.

8. The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia is One of the Best Opera Houses in Europe

El Palau de les Arts Reina Sof铆a in Valencia, Spain. Photo by Diliff-

Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia is an opera house and performing arts center dedicated to music and the performing arts. It has four sections; the main hall, the master hall, the auditorium and the martin y Soler theater.

From October to November, you can enjoy all kinds of opera, musical and theatrical performances in one of its four highly modern halls.

9. It Was Very Expensive to Build

The projects were expected to cost 300 million Euros but went three times over the budget, costing 900 million Euros. This provoked many Valencian people who thought it was a waste of public money.

10. The City of Arts and Science is the Treasure of Spain

The City of Arts and Science was voted one of the 12 treasures of Spain in a public poll created by Spanish media, ranking alongside world-famous sights lie the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and Granada鈥檚 famous Alhambra.