During the past three years, I have photographed several buildings designed by Santiago Calatrava. I discovered his work accidentally when I visited the transportation hub in New York City. Since then, I have sought out his other projects in Europe. I suspect that his work can be divisive, but enjoy his combinations of architecture, art, and whimsy. They almost always present multiple photographic interpretations. When I discovered that he designed the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, I immediately started planning a trip.
There are four structures in this image. The closest structure is L'Hemisfèric (an Imax theater) and is meant to resemble a large eye. The next structure is the Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe, a science museum with a bone-like exterior. The Assut de l'Or Bridge is the third structure with the final building being L'Àgora, a concert and event hall. All are different in size and shape, yet from this angle, they blend together into one piece. Add in the pools of water that surround much of the project and a creature emerges, rising from the depths.
I hoped to photograph the structures at night, as Calatrava often illuminates them in interesting ways. I positioned myself on a bridge overlooking the area, as the elevated view better revealed the wonderful reflections. The water is shallow and choppy during even mild winds, but the dark scene allowed me to soften it with a long exposure. The dynamic range of light in the scene was more than my camera sensor could process. As a result, I blended this long exposure with both a regular exposure and an under-exposed image (for the very bright lights).
More to come from Valencia & Calatrava...here are links to my interpretations of his other designs.