Come to the City of Arts and Sciences!
The City of Arts and Sciences is a unique complex devoted to scientific and cultural dissemination which is made up of five main elements: the Hemisfèric (IMAX cinema and digital projections), the Umbracle (a landscaped vantage point and car park), the Príncipe Felipe Science Museum (an innovative centre of interactive science), the Oceanográfico (the largest aquarium in Europe with over 500 marine species) and the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía (which takes care of the operatic programme). The Ágora, which will give the complex a multifunctional space, is under construction.
Along an axis of just under two kilometres that was formerly the bed of the River Turia, this complex promoted by the Generalitat Valenciana has striking architecture - designed by Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela - and an endless capacity for entertaining and stimulating the minds of its visitors. In its various buildings they can get to know different aspects of science, technology, nature, and art.
Discover the Hemisfèric IMAX cinema and digital projections to feel adventures through spectacular images. This is the largest hall in Spain to contain two systems projecting onto a concave screen of 900 square metres: Large-format cinema, IMAX Dome. Digital projections. Astronomical representations and entertainment shows. The Hemisfèric was inaugurated in 1998 and was the first building in the City of Arts and Sciences to open its doors to the public. It is a spectacular construction designed by Santiago Calatrava, with an ovoid roof over 100 metres long that contains in its interior the large sphere that constitutes the projection room.
Discover the Science Museum Interactive exhibitions and scientific activities to show new technologies and science advancements. This is the great 21st-century science museum for getting to know in a didactic, interactive, and entertaining way everything to do with life, science, and technology. The Príncipe Felipe Science Museum has become a world reference point for interactive science and one of the most visited destinations in the country, with over 23 million visitors since its inauguration in 2000. Its main objective is stimulating curiosity and critical thinking and at the same time surprising and amusing the public by its contents from the world of science, technology, and the environment.
Discover the Oceanográfico An underwater trip over the biggest aquarium in Europe. The Oceanográfico of the City of Arts and Sciences is the largest aquarium in Europe and contains representatives of the world’s main marine ecosystems. Each building is identified with the following aquatic environments: the Mediterranean, Wetlands, Temperate and Tropical Seas, Oceans, the Antarctic, the Arctic, Islands, and the Red Sea, as well as the Dolphinarium with 24 million litres of water and a depth of 10.5 metres. The Underwater Restaurant and the Access Building which welcomes visitors stand out because of their spectacular roofs designed by Félix Candela.
During their route through the various installations, visitors can get to know at first hand the behaviour and way of life of over 45,000 individuals of 500 different species: dolphins, belugas, walruses, sea lions, seals, penguins, turtles, sharks, rays, sawfish, jellyfish, starfish, sea urchins, and crustaceans of all kin..., as well as wetland bird species such as those inhabiting the Albufera de Valencia and tropical mangrove swamps.
Discover the Palau de les Arts one of the main badges of Santiago Calatrava's project. After the inauguration of the Hemisfèric in 1998, the Príncipe Felipe Science Museum and the Umbracle in 2000, and the opening to the public of the Oceanográfico in 2003, the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía completes the artistic facet of the Generalitat’s firm bid for culture in its broadest sense together with science, technology, and nature. It was inaugurated in 2005 and is equipped with the most modern technologies to constitute an avant-garde and modern space, which is the cultural catalyst that has placed the Region of Valencia, with its centenary musical tradition, in a privileged position among all other world regions.
Discover the Umbracle Spectacular gardened esplanade with incredible views to the whole complex, which houses a large car park. The Umbracle is a vantage point of over 17,500 square metres from which all the buildings, lakes, walkways, and landscaped areas of the City of Arts and Sciences can be contemplated. Its vegetation is characteristic of the Mediterranean, of the Region of Valencia, and of tropical countries, and changes according to the season of the year; it also contains an interesting exhibition of contemporary sculptures by internationally acknowledged artists. Inside it houses the car park for the City of Arts and Sciences which has room for 690 light vehicles and 20 coaches on two floors. It is its upper part, however, that is of interest with its "Parade of the Sculptures", an open-air art gallery of nine sculptures by contemporary artists with a central wooded garden; a balcony located on the north side of the latter affords a magnificent panoramic view of the whole complex.
Dare to join the Space Academy, an attraction that uses the simulation of movement to recreate three stages in the space launch preparation for the International Space Station. Guided by the voice and image of the Spanish astronaut, Pedro Duque, visitors go through the space laboratory, the launch elevator, and the airlift that takes them to the space flight simulator.
Furthermore, the Príncipe Felipe Science Museum is holding a workshop entitled Staged Science, a series of demonstrations to show the fun side of science without abandoning scientific rigour. In other words, the ultimate aim is to educate participants in the principles of physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and sound. Be a part of this incredible adventure!
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