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VALENCIA’s futuristic City of Arts and Sciences is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its Museo de les Ciencies – and it’s still one of Europe’s most jaw-dropping feats of modern design.
The architect Santiago Calatrava designed the gleaming complex. Felix Candela helped shape its curves.
Built on the dry riverbed of the old Turia, the space-age project was meant to catapult Valencia into the new millennium – and it did, albeit with a price tag that rocketed to an eye-watering €1.2 billion.
Opened in stages from 1998, the sprawling site includes the Museu de les Ciencies, the ocean-themed L’Oceanografic, the opera-house-meets-spaceship Palau de les Arts, and the huge IMAX dome of the Hemisferic.
Together, these two groups have transformed this once-deserted riverbank into an international magnet for tourists and film crews.
Upon its opening, some critics called it a vanity project.
But the time has been kind. Today, the City of Arts and Sciences is the pride of Valencia – a futuristic playground where culture, architecture and science collide.
Its museum shaped like a whale skeleton remains the main attraction. The museum features a variety of interactive experiences, virtual reality games, and new exhibits. Leonardo da Vinci: 500 Years of Genius Mark the anniversary.
The complex continues to be featured in design magazines around the world.
Its shimmering pools, soaring bridges and sweeping concrete fins have become a magnet for luxury development – with nearby apartments now fetching premium prices thanks to those cinematic views.
The celebrations of the anniversary this year include everything from space themed films to family science shows, Renaissance art in motion and even family science shows.
But the real wonder is how Calatrava’s vision – equal parts cathedral, spaceship and sculpture – has stood the test of time.
Some 25 years on, Valencia’s once-controversial science city has become a triumph of imagination and ambition – proof that daring design can transform not just a skyline, but an entire city’s identity.
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