El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia - Valencia Opera House (Spain)

Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia is the Queen Sofia Palace of Arts and a unique work of architecture.

The building is an opera house that is located in the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, Spain.

The building is managed by Helga Schmidt, who once worked with the Royal Opera House in London. El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia hosts opera performances, ballet performances, symphonic concerts, etudes, festivals, theatrical productions and other important cultural events.

The building is a great venue for opera and ballet performances, symphonic concerts, etudes, festivals, theatrical productions and other important cultural events.

The building impresses everyone with its presence. The opera house was designed by Santiago Calatrava, a well-known and world-renowned architect, born in Valencia.

First works on the building were carried out at the end of the last few years.

The first works on the construction of the Queen Sofia Palace of Arts began in 1995, and the opening took place on 8 October 2005. A year after the opening (October 25, 2006), the first opera performance was held - "Fidelio" composed by Beethoven.

The opera house has four halls: the Sala Principal (main hall with a capacity of over 1,412 people), the Auditori with a capacity of 1,490 people, the Aula Magistral with a capacity of 378 people, and the Teatre Martín and Soler with a capacity of 400 people.

The Queen Sofia Palace of Arts building is enveloped by a massive curved roof that is 230 meters long and 75 meters high.

The metal plume, located on a footbridge at the main entrance of the Palau de les Arts, appears to float above the structure. This elevated footbridge can be access in two ways, by a 56-meter-long staircase at the west end of the building, or from the main entrance, where the Box Office is located, by two symmetrical corridors leading to the lobby of the Main Concert Hall.

The main materials used in the construction are sheet metal and glass, which, especially inside, create remarkable contrasts. The building also features panoramic staircases and elevators, located inside the metal elements of the opera house, and indescribable tropical terraces measuring 518 m², which offer beautiful views of the city.

The building is 75 meters high with 14 floors, and a total area of over 40,000 m².

The building is surrounded by more than 60,000 square meters of gardens and pathways and water in pools of 11,000 square meters.

El Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia hosts major cultural events for brands such as Formula 1, BMW and Adidas.

The main hall (Sala Principal) has 1,412 seats on four floors. In 2008, it was the third largest in the world.

The opera house hosted the Spanish premiere of the James Bond film "007 Quantum of Solace".