Fishes, science and architecture in Valencia

Valencia recently built a series of beautiful buildings which we really wanted to visit. They are all by the Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava.

Valencia aquarium

Apparently this is the largest aquarium in Europe, and it is indeed vast.

We could have spent more than a day here. It is split into two levels. The ground is predominantly outside, with a series of pools and small pavilions, but where all the main action is is underground, this is where the aquarium are.

The place is divided into themes, whether they be aspects of the sea; shore life, in the surf zone, or the deep ocean. Also by region; Mediterranean, tropics etc.

We started with the wetland area. Above ground this is predominantly an aviary.

A biosphere of maybe 50m diameter which contains many bird species;

spoonbills, ibis, heron, oystercatcher and many more.

It is sad to see them in this small space, but you can really get close to them, they are so tame, you get to admire their plumage as they preen.

Below ground the aquarium.

One of the features was a 70m long Perspex tunnel, where you are surrounded by fish. Quite amazing. We then saw some seals and the dolphins show.

Expect a long intro as a few kids are chosen; this place  is very child focused, which is a bit of a shame as some of the text could be a bit more information heavy.

Although the dolphin show pertains to be educational, it is still fundamentally swimming mammals doing tricks for morsels of fish in inadequately small tanks, sad but still impressive.

Sea horses, jellyfish and every species of fish you could think of are all available to see.

From here onto the Beluga whales and the sea lions. A lot of these more intelligent animals suffer from repetitive actions bought on, no doubt, by boredom of being in confined spaces. This does allow close inspection of them, as you can predict where they are going to be.

The sea lions have been given some toys, one is a die, maybe they will now become compulsive gamblers in the future, for now they look incredible cute, their massive bulk clutching this small plastic cube between their fins.

The last place we visited before we were eventually kicked out; the sharks. Another impressive plastic tunnel, and what an incredible scale of tank, and number of fish; up close and personal.

Amazing, and well worth the €28.

Don’t  expect amazing architecture. The pavilions are simple exercises in geometry. A better relationship between above ground and the outside, and what is happening underground could have been achieved, and the above ground could have a little more animation and care and attention.

Valencia science museum

For an extra €1.90 on top of the aquarium entrance fee and you can get to see the science museum. At this price it is probably worth it, at €8, the full entry price, it is certainly not.

We went primarily to see the building, which is beautiful.

Beautiful and vast.

Which is a bit of a problem. The exhibits are lost in the space. Plonked there. They feel out of place. the temporary nature of their walls sit uncomfortably with the sloping columns, creating awkward, left over spaces to bang your head, when you wish to peer into the abyss.

But it is the quality of the exhibits that lets down the museum. There is so much that could have filled the space, so many gaps in the science, at times it just feels like an advert for a Spanish manufacturer. There are no basic concepts; physics, chemistry, biology.

It seems they forgot to curate the space.

It is vaguely child friendly, with lots to do, except that perhaps 25% of the workable stuff, just isn’t working.

Please send someone to other science museums; London or Boston to see how it can be done.

Or perhaps they just ran out of budget as it was all squandered on the building.

 

The architecture

I actually like parts of these buildings, this is Calatrava at his best. The skeletal structures; anthropomorphic, repetitive, pristine in their grey white concrete and glossy white tile, set amongst pools of water.

However, this is another Calatrava complex where the architect is being sued, this time because the white tiles have been falling off the adjacent building, an opera house.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/10541734/Valencia-sues-opera-house-architect-as-white-elephants-rot.html

http://www.dezeen.com/2014/01/02/santiago-calatrava-city-of-arts-and-sciences/

The building is now covered in scaffolding as they try to remedy the problems. It looks from afar that the tiles were stuck to a metal skin. Surely this could not be the case. The metal would expand in the heat of the Valencia summer, but what would I know.

It seems Calatrava has had numerous recent litigations against him; Valencia, Oviedo, Ysios and Venice. He has also successfully sued a Spanish political party, but was awarded only 5% of what he sued;

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/may/16/spanish-architect-wins-lawsuit-calatrava-bleeds-you-dry-website

This is all very strange and disappointing. The architect of the city makes it to the top ranks. The city then invites him to design key buildings to put it back on the map. These buildings were to have a budget of €300m but allegedly ended up costing €1000m and the architects fees; apparently they were €100m, so perhaps he can afford to pay all the lawsuits should he lose.

This science building would not work in the UK. All that concrete going inside to outside, a large thermal bridge would cause condensation and mould. We would also look at easy ways to change the light bulbs when they went. Such a volume seems excessive when you look at what is inside, and those large roof spaces are not really useable.

Although the forms are beautiful it is the excesses that I dislike; the excessive size, the excessive use of concrete, the excessive use of glass.

Where do those massive stairs go, they were are barriered off so they couldn’t even be used. Perhaps they are flamboyant escape stairs in case of fire.

All that glass, in this climate!

This looks like an expensive building to construct.

This looks like an expensive building to maintain.

Those lights are really high. Maybe a complex moving gantry can access them

And here is the crux of the matter; the residents of Valencia are picking up the bill, a bill they can probably ill afford to pay. I wonder whether the politicians of Valencia would chose a ‘starchitect’ in the future!

The Imax cinema; a building within a building, just from a resource point of view was it really necessary, and the public aren’t even allowed to use these spaces.

Beautiful pivoting door, and all the sides move and pivot as well, with large pistons, fabulous engineering.

And that sun shade. It looks like it is supported only at one point. Is the whole thing really a massive cantilever? Again, impressive engineering, but just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should do something. This is a massively expensive gesture to gratify a massively egotistical architect. Where were the consultants advising the client?

 

This is a shame, their are many things good about these buildings, many things to like, but many questions to answer.

Susana and Gary