Garden of the Hesperides, Valencia, Spain

Above - Photo © Alice Joyce / The Garden of the Hesperides

Photos: Bleda & Rosa, Miguel A.Valero, Antonio Gallud & Miguel del Rey

In Greek mythology, the daughters of the god Hesperus dwelled in an idyllic mountain garden at the edge of the world. Guarded by a dragon, this arcadian realm was known for its tree of golden apples.

The nymphs (sometimes called the African Sisters) provided inspiration for what I found to be Valencia's most surprising public space: The Garden of the Hesperides. Constructed between 1998 and 2000, the 'Hesperides' is the work of VAM 10 Arquitectura Studio: Designed by Maria Teresa Santamaria, agricultural technical engineer, & architects Antonio Gallud, Carlos Campos, and Miguel del Rey.

In the contained space of a Hortus Conclusus, the designers called upon symbolic elements to relate to the scented landscapes of early Catalonia. A collection of citrus species hearkens to the admirable horticulture of Valencia's 15th century. Cypresses are planted as prominent structural forms. Water cascades through channels. Fountains freshen the air.

In the words of the designers, "The garden is a setting for dreams...where...the highest, most generous thoughts come to mind." In naming the garden, they looked to the nymphs as "the symbol of fertility."

More will follow in the coming days on the garden's exceptional modernity: A layout that successfully highlights contemporary materials and textures while celebrating the region's traditions and history.

Valencia's City of Arts & Sciences, Gardens & Architecture

Ricardo Bofill Designed Section of Valencia's Turia Gardens

My posts have touched upon the development of the Turia gardens, with glimpses of Cabecera and the Bioparc at the western boundary. Continuing along, past the botanical gardens, we put aside the romantic setting of Monforte and Jardines del Real for another time.

Proceeding along the Turia, as the walkway wraps around the city's lovely old quarter, we meandered along Ricardo Bofill's contemporary layout adjacent to the music palace.

L'Hemisferic   -- Photos copyright © Alice Joyce

Now, the spectacle of the City of Arts and Sciences looms: Gleaming white, organic architectural forms in glass, steel and concrete, emphatically proclaiming Valencia's place in the new millennium. Situated amid a 7,000 square-meter green space and sculpture park, completed in 2007, the 'City' arises in a formerly depressed industrial area a few kilometers from the sea. Designed by Santiago Calatrava, the stunning buildings comprise a modern-day mecca of art and technology in the emblematic Palau de les Arts, and Museu de les Ciencies Principe Felipe.  Felix Candela designed L'Oceanografic, a marine park.

Photo Courtesy Turismo Valenica

The entryway to the 'City,' L'Umbracle was designed to conceal. Its form stands atop a parking garage, while Calatrava created sculptural forms sheated in mosaics to house the elevators and mask air conditioning units. A word derived from Latin, l'umbracle is a sort of shade house. In this case, one that captures the imagination. An innovative, open-air public space, the 18-meter-high structure possesses an intrinsic clarity of light for its trove of plants, and terrace for relaxation and receptions: Allees of palms, ornamental vines, and aromatic species include shrubs native to the region, commingling with bitter orange trees, rockrose, plumbago, and buddleja.

L'Hemisferic, a planetarium inspired by the human eye, provides one of the most magical effects, with the head-turning concept of pencil cypresses breaking the surface of the pale blue water encircling the building.

The vast, undulating grounds of the 'City' present a densely planted landscape. Its swathes of herbs and bosks of trees which will braid together as they reach maturity.

Read more .. Valencia's contemporary landscape

Valencia, Spain: Architecture & Gardens

Turia Gardens Overview - Courtesy Turismo Valencia

La Lola

 Calatrava's L'Umbracle    Photo © Alice Joyce

The City of Arts & Sciences awaits.  But there's little time to post today.

Look to the locator map to place Valencia on Spain's east coast. 

I'm also passing along a recommendation for a great meal at La Lola: terrifically hip, in an atmospheric locale ~ 

the old quarter's Barrio del Carmen.

Valencia, Spain - Turia Gardens & Bridges

The initial development of the Turia's new course takes in a 170,000-square-meter expanse, including sports facilities, bike paths, exercise stations, & lush gardens superimposed upon the dry river bed. You'll discover its rambling beauty on a stroll eastward, along distinctive sections that wrap around the heart of old Valencia's serpentine streets and plazas. An area visually rich with Baroque, Romanesque, Gothic and Mudejar architecture. 

To begin to appreciate the Turia's transformation, start at the western boundary. The new Cabecera Park, a 35-hectare nature preserve formally connects the diverted river to it former site. The parkland's reconfigured terrain gives rise to naturalistic hills and a lake, threaded through with winding paths that culminate in a series of overlooks. Plantings emulate a Mediterranean pinewood and natural wetland habitat, enhanced by enclaves of exotic trees. And work continues on the Bioparc, a natural zoo reserve adjoining Cabecera.

My personal journey - the focus of my posts - engages with the Turia further along,

beyond Cabecera & the Bioparc, the history museum & sports stadium. 

Entering at the 19th-century Alameda, a leafy, Moorish-inspired walkway running parallel to the river bed, you'll pass beneath evocative bridges that help to define the Turia's newly landscaped spaces, unfolding as you approach the City of Arts and Sciences.  You'll also discover Valencia's historical gardens, Monforte and Viveros.

The aerial photos provide glimpses of Valencia's famous bridges, the Palau de la Musica, and Calatrava's buildings. Much more to follow.....

Spain - The Turia Gardens

Detail of Santiago Calatrava's gardens  for... The City of Arts & Sciences

Photos copyright © Alice Joyce

Ricardo Bofill's minimalist design for a section of the Turia.

Valencia's Turia Gardens

A city  of tantalizing contrasts, Valencia beckons. Stroll the vibrant town center amid ancient Roman ruins, and you may find yourself surprised by elements of 21st century garden artistry.  There's a newfound panache to this city which extends to its port, an elegantly rejuvenated area where the 2007 America's Cup competition was held. The seafront commands attention with an array of chic restaurants, glittery hotels, and broad promenades giving rise to atmospheric displays of palm trees and lavish flower beds.

Yet, long before the media began trumpeting the America's Cup, Valencia's Turia Gardens attracted international attention, and prompted me to plan a trip to Spain to see the project.

The Turia's transformation can be traced to 1957, when flood waters devastated the Ciutat Vella, the historic district, and brought chaos to the province. In an effort to avoid another such deluge, the government diverted the Turia river, relocating its watercourse. Rather than turn the dry river bed into a highway - a proposal rejected by the citizenry - an inspired alternative came about: A public green zone - the Turia Gardens.

Renowned architect Ricardo Bofill assumed a primary role in the Turia's overall planning during the 1980s, envisioning a green sward meandering around and through Valencia on a path toward the sea. The transformation would be pivotal in the history of Valencia and its people, infusing the city with a renewed energy. 

I'll be writing more about the Turia's design, Calatrava's eye-opening contribution to Valencia's architecture, the city's historic gardens, and a visionary public park located near the botanical garden.