April 27th, 2009 The Museum of Sciences
Some say it looks like the skeleton of a beached whale. The Museum of Sciences, designed by Santiago Calatrava, occupies a portion of land within the area of a dry riverbed. The river Turia, in Valencia, Spain has been diverted and as a result, the land has been reclaimed and is now being developed. Calatrava, in addition to being trained as an architect and engineer is also an acclaimed painter and sculptor. His sculptors training is evident in the form and construction of his projects. The city is awaiting the day that Calatrava will design some new Valencia hotels. The entire area has been called La Ciudad de las Artes y las sciencias, the city of arts and sciences. Contained within this Ciudad is the El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía — the Opera House and performing arts center, L’Hemisfèric — Imax Cinema, Planetarium and Laserium, L’Oceanogràfic — Open-air oceanographic park and El Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe — The Science Museum. Each building is connected by beautifully landscaped walkways. There are plenty of places to sit & just relax.
The museum itself is an example of the state of the art in architecture and engineering. Its’ curved form makes it look like something that just landed. The interior atmosphere is like stepping into a futuristic space station. It has a domed ceiling and long glass walls in the lobby, which happens to be staffed by aqua suited hostesses. A surreal experience,but exciting too. The graphic exhibits are highly interactive and enormously popular with kids of all ages. The sports section is the most popular. You can test your strength and speed against a group of machines. There are also some great exhibits illustrating the way electricity and lasers work as well as the inner workings of the human body. There’s an area for young children, ages 3-6 where they can dress up like construction workers . They get to operate miniature cranes and bulldozers and pretend that they’re constructing new buildings.
There’s a cafe and a gift shop selling souvenirs and well designed household items. Sometimes shopping the museum gift shop is more fun than the museum itself.
Related posts:
- Miami Art Museum
- Prado Museum Madrid, Spain
- The Heritage Museum of Gairloch, Scotland
- Boomers Park and Childrens Discovery Museum in Palm Springs
- The Burnham Tavern Museum in Maine