L'Àgora Valencia: The Unbuilt Wings That Changed Its Design

L'Àgora Valencia is a multifunctional covered space designed by Santiago Calatrava within the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències complex in Valencia, Spain. The building was created as an event centre, but its original design included large wings on top that were never installed because of budget constraints and the economic crisis.

What is L'Àgora in Valencia?

L'Àgora is the covered, multifunctional space designed by Santiago Calatrava inside Valencia's Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències complex. Its identity is tied to both its adaptable event-centre purpose and the gap between the building as planned and the building that was completed.

What was L'Àgora built for?

L'Àgora was built as an event centre and opened to the public in 2006. At that time, it was originally called The Agora and was described as a cultural and exhibition center.

That purpose helps explain why the building was conceived as a multifunctional covered space rather than for a single use. L'Àgora was the last addition to the City of Arts and Sciences project, after substantial spending had already gone into the wider project.

What is distinctive about the L'Àgora building?

The most surprising detail is that the original design included large wings on top of the building. Those wings were never installed because of budget constraints and the economic crisis.

The missing wings are not a separate architectural feature to look for elsewhere in the complex; they are part of L'Àgora's own story. The building's final form reflects the financial circumstances surrounding the last addition to the City of Arts and Sciences project.

Where can you see L'Àgora in Valencia?

You can find L'Àgora within the Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències complex in Valencia. If you want to encounter the building through a route that includes its documented stop, the Valencia Uncovered Green Capital of Europe tour visits L'Àgora at stop 15 of 16.

The route's listing gives you a practical next step for placing L'Àgora within your visit: explore the Valencia Uncovered tour and see the building in the context of its stop on the route.