What is the name of Calatrava's eye-shaped planetarium in Valencia?

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Calatrava’s eye-shaped planetarium in Valencia is called the Hemisfèric.

L’Hemisfèric was the first building of Valencia’s City of Arts and Sciences to open to the public, inaugurated in 1998. Santiago Calatrava designed its ovoid structure to evoke a giant human eye, sometimes described by the complex as the “Eye of Wisdom.” The building rises from reflecting pools, reinforcing the impression that an eye is opening above the water.

Inside is a large projection room used for planetarium shows, IMAX presentations, 3D films, and astronomy-related programs. Its concave screen covers about 900 square metres and supports several projection systems. This combination of architecture, science communication, and spectacle helped establish the City of Arts and Sciences as Valencia’s signature modern landmark.

The other options are neighboring buildings in the same complex, not the planetarium. The Museu de les Ciències is the interactive science museum, L’Oceanogràfic is the aquarium, and the Palau de les Arts is the opera house. The accent in “Hemisfèric” reflects the Valencian/Catalan form of the name.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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