The City of Arts and Sciences sits on the old Turia riverbed, now converted into a garden when the river course deviates.
Next to the Science Museum, the Umbráculo was built, a metallic framework that covers a garden area where there are more than 50 native floral species of the Valencian Community. Over time the creeping plants are expected to climb up the arches, covering them.
Next to the Umbracle there is a viewpoint, from where you can see a large part of the City of Arts and Sciences. Below the Umbracle is the parking lot.
This sculpture by Miquel Navarro is at the beginning of the Umbráculo platform.
1000c CITY OF ARTS AND SCIENCIES. Umbraculum. Sculpture by Joan Cardells
- City of Arts and Sciencies
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In the Umbracle there are some sculptures by contemporary artists, like this one by Joan Cardells.
The Prince Felipe Science Museum, built in 2000, is dedicated to science, technology and the environment. Inside it has a Foucault pendulum, which is used to show that the Earth rotates on its axis.
Two large staircases stand out on the south side of the Museum of Science. They had to be added after the museum was built to comply with fire regulations.
The configuration of the Science Museum resembles a bone structure.
El Hemisférico was the first building to be completed (1998). Inside it houses an IMAX cinema with capacity for 300 people. The screenings are on science and technology topics.
On the inner cupola, a movable cupola section allows the smaller or greater opening of the covered outer space. It has been compared to an eye.
The Hemispheric is situated between two rectangular ponds. It is also Planetarium and Laserium.
The Reina Sofía Palace of the Arts dates from 2005 and is mainly used for opera performances.
The Reina Sofía Palace of the Arts replaced the Communications Tower of the initial project. The building has sculptural forms.
This building has four rooms: Main (for opera), Aula Magistral, Auditorium (the largest room) and Martín y Soler Theater. It also has a room for exhibitions.
In principle it was going to be just a City of Sciences but, when this new building was added, it was renamed the City of Arts and Sciences.
Both the Palace of the Arts and the related buildings are covered in white "trencadís" (cut tiles). Trencadís, both blue and white, is used throughout this City of Arts and Sciences. The "trencadís" had already been used in the Estación del Norte and in the Mercado de Colón.