Impressive Architectures at City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia

The City of Arts and Sciences is a large-scale urban recreation center for culture and science in the city of Valencia, Spain. Designed by Valencian architect Santiago Calatrava and started in July 1996, it is an impressive example of modern architecture. Set in the old dried-up river bed of the Turia, midway between the old city of Valencia and the coastal district of Nazaret, the City of Arts and Sciences covers an area of 350,000 square meters. Following a disastrous flood in 1957, the river was diverted along a canal to the south of the city, and the dried-out riverbed turned into a picturesque sunken park, which is the City of Arts and Sciences. Surrounded by attractive streams and pools of water, the “city” and the surrounding areas are typically used as a relaxing place to walk day or night. It is turning out to be the most important modern tourist destination in the city of Valencia.

The complex was designed almost entirely by Valencia born Santiago Calatrava. L’Hemisfèric, the planetarium, was the first element to be opened to the public in April 1998. The building is meant to resemble a giant eye with an eyelid that opens to access the surrounding water pool. The bottom of the pool is glass, creating the illusion of the eye as a whole. L’Hemisfèric is the centerpiece of the City of Arts and Sciences.

Cities With the Most Impressive Skyline

The skyline of a city is like a fingerprint, unique and as easily identifiable as a country's flag or a national symbol. The Empire State Building, the Burj Khalifa, and the Taipei 101 are some of the iconic buildings that make the world's greatest skylines. The skyline of a city is also seen as symbol of the city's influence and economy. In general, larger cities have broader and taller skylines, though lower density cities can also have smaller skylines.

Here is a list of 25 cities that have the most impressive skyline in the world.

Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong is one of the world's leading international financial centers. The lack of space in the city caused demand for denser constructions, which developed the city to a center for modern architecture and the world's most vertical city. Hong Kong boasts of more than 7800 buildings of which more than 2300 are above 100 meter with a combined height of a whopping 333,836 meter. Hong Kong ranks first in the world in both skyscraper and high-rise count, with at least 52 completed skyscrapers over the height of 200 meter and 272 skyscrapers over 150 meter. It also boasts four of the 15 tallest buildings in the world.

In addition, Hong Kong's skyline is often considered to be the best in the world, with the surrounding mountains and Victoria Harbour complementing the skyscrapers. Every night, many skyscrapers and buildings on both sides of Victoria Harbour light up in a synchronized show called A Symphony of Lights, named by the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest permanent light and sound festival in the world.