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© 2026 Jochen Simon
A photographic exploration of the Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias (City of Arts and Sciences) in Valencia, tracing the changing light from daylight to dusk.
As the sun moves across the sky, light and shadow reshape the architecture, accentuating its sculptural forms and transforming the atmosphere of the spaces between and within the buildings. As daylight fades, artificial illumination takes over, turning the complex into a luminous composition and altering the dynamics of the entire site.
Designed by Santiago Calatrava, the complex was conceived in the early 1990s in the former riverbed of the Turia. Combining science, culture and performing arts, its expressive white structures, fluid forms and reflecting pools create an ambitious architectural ensemble. The first building opened in 1998, with the complex completed in stages until 2009.
The complex comprises six main elements: the Hemisfèric, a planetarium and IMAX cinema; the Museu de les Ciències, an interactive science museum; the Umbracle, a landscaped garden and viewing promenade; the Oceanogràfic, an aquarium; the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía, an opera house and performing arts centre; and the Àgora, a multifunctional cultural venue now home to the CaixaForum.