The City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia through the lens of Joel Filipe

Joel Filipe, designer and art director at Spanish Radio and Television — "the only designer in the entire world who doesn't drink coffee," as he describes himself on his website — pursues a passion for photographing Spanish architecture alongside his day job.

In his recent project City of Lights — White Harmony Filipe reveals the monochromatic beauty of the City of Arts and Sciences — the architectural complex in Valencia that has become a popular tourist destination.

A view from below of white supports and the ribbed ceiling of a bridge at the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia

The dome and glass wings of the Hemisfèric building, City of Arts and Sciences, Valencia

The curved white roof and latticed glass facade of the science museum against the sky

The City of Arts and Sciences was built at the turn of the twenty-first century on the site of the dried-up bed of the Turia river. Originally conceived as a science museum, the project expanded through debate into a complex of five buildings: an opera house, a planetarium, a gallery, the science museum itself and an oceanographic park, all surrounded by parks and water features.

A symmetrical interior with a white dome, a staircase and slanted glass walls

A vast white concrete dome beneath the arch of a glass roof in a building interior

A row of curved sculptures clad in blue and white trencadís mosaic in the Umbracle park

A bright gallery with an angled glass wall and sunlight glinting across the stone floor

A jagged row of pointed glass roof sections of the science museum against a pale sky

The complex is listed among the 12 Treasures of Spain alongside the Guggenheim Museum, the Alhambra and Seville Cathedral. The futuristic appearance of its buildings attracts not only tourists but also people from the art world: several scenes of the Disney science-fiction filmTomorrowland and oneepisode of the British science-fiction series Doctor Who ("Smile", s10e02) were filmed on the grounds of the City of Arts and Sciences.

Close-up of blue mosaic crescent-shaped sail sculptures at the City of Arts and Sciences

The perspective of a long gallery with white ribbed arches and a grey stone floor

A curved glass interior roof with a pedestrian ramp and a view of the complex

A carefully designed lighting system makes the City of Arts and Sciences look especially striking at night, yet Joel Philip chose daytime to photograph the complex. The clean white surfaces serve as a backdrop for the latticed beams that slice through the sunlight falling on them. So much glass has been used in the buildings of the City of Arts and Sciences that the vast spaces — filled with air and light — seem to have been cut from paper, while at the same time giving the impression of giant spacecraft or palaces of the future.

A curved white canopy and the sharp angle of the concert palace roof against a cloudy sky

The symmetrical façade of the Palace of Arts Queen Sofía, with its dome and wings, seen from the water

White pointed towers clad in mosaic with blue slits against the sky

The rhythmic white façade of the Palace of Arts Queen Sofía with its sharply angled roof

The latticed glass façade and undulating roof of the science museum reflected in a pool

Philip's fondness for white is hard to miss: most of his other photo series are similarly drawn to pale monochromes. Several of his projects focus on the architecture of Madrid, where the designer now lives — its geometry and carefully chosen colour palette. Philip has also photographed projects in Lisbon, including the seriesThe Shell — Maat Museum Lisbon, dedicated to the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology.

We wrote about another of Spain's treasures, the Guggenheim Museum, in ourroundup of contemporary art museums. And the city of Brasília through Bruno Candiotto's lens is sure to appeal with its equally pure, clean lines and shades of white.