Storms force closure of Spanish arts centre
mainThe Palau de les Arts in Valencia has been shut and all performances suspended after heavy storms brought ceramic tiles down from the roof. The centre opened in 2005, with Lorin Maazel as artistic director of the Valencia Opera.
The architect of the building, Calatrava, has had to face numerous lawsuits for faulty designs in his work around the world. Looks like this is just the next one on the list. Sad story for the opera though, I hope they can reschedule their performances elsewhere.
I was visiting the Principe de Astuias museum just after it opened in 2000 with representatives of the Bank of Africa meeting in Valencia. There were plastic buckets all over the floor to catch the rain as it fell through the roof. I asked an official, who I knew to be involved in the construction of the building, whey this was sucn. His reply stunned me. “How do we know where the holes in the roof are unless it rains?’
So am I surprised about the operal house construction? Not at all!