CaixaForum Valencia

The CaixaForum València is a unique project dedicated to the dissemination of knowledge and culture by combining history, art, science and technology. It is located in the unique Ágora building, a work by Santiago Calatrava in the City of Arts and Sciences. Architect Enric Ruiz-Geli and his Cloud 9 studio have designed this exhibit space as a living organism through a restaurant that is a garden of aromatic plants, offices that rise up in the shape of a palm tree, an educational classroom that is a cloud floating in the space and an auditorium that is an inverted forest. And it's all surrounded by water to form a lake. Two sculptures give the complex a local feel. Arc al cel, by Inma Feminía, recreates the optical phenomenon of a rainbow using sunlight and represents a combination of art, nature, science and architecture, the essence of the museum. The other is Palafit, by Anna Talens, a triangular and gilded house on stilts, designed to remember and sanctify the way of life of the farmers of l'Albufera  

Two large halls, between 400 and 700 square meters, house exhibits on ancient civilizations, technological developments such as artificial intelligence, and artistic exhibits from different disciplines. But the CaixaForum is more than a conventional museum. It's a place to enjoy musical performances in its auditorium, which can seat three hundred people, and to acquire knowledge about humanity and its creative manifestations. There are also conference series, shows, social days and educational workshops for all ages. The guided tours by teachers of the temporary exhibits at the center - some designed explicitly for children and families - are a must.