The Spanish city of Valencia will have a new “CaixaForum” cultural centre designed by IAAC Senior Faculty Enric Ruiz-Geli, professor at the Master in Advanced Architecture (MAA). With this new building, CaixaForum network underpins its strong cultural network of museums and cultural institutions across Spain with its two most representative landmarks located in Barcelona and Madrid. CaixaForum network in Spain receives every year hundreds of thousands of visitors from all over the world.

The new “CaixaForum” will be located inside the Àgora building of the the City of the Arts and Sciences in Valencia, aiming to complement the area’s cultural offer and become a new reference in the city, with a wide range of activities targeted to all sort of audiences. The project, lead by Ruiz-Geli Cloud 9 studio, is characterized by enhancing the original concept of the Àgora building created by Santiago Calatrava as a large area open to dialogue and cultural activity, as well as for its environmental sustainability. Among the team members involved in this project, IAAC Senior Faculty Javier Peña will work side by side with Ruiz-Geli.

The equipment will have a useful surface area of 6,500 square metres and will have two large exhibition halls located on the ground floor of the new space. CaixaForum Valencia will also have an auditorium, multi-purpose classrooms, a family and educational space, a bookstore and a restaurant. The space will also offer art exhibitions, conferences, concerts and shows, social events, educational and family workshops and activities for the elderly. Construction work will commence in the last quarter of 2018 and it is expected to be completed by the end of 2020.