Check out Valencia's sci-fi ultramodern opera house

Some say it looks like a spaceship, or a sci-fi helmet, but whatever it looks like to you, it certainly doesn't look like an opera house. And yet it is one. Here's a look inside the amazing Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía in Valencia, Spain.

For more about this epic concert hall, check out The sci-fi wonder of Valencia's opera house.

The Palau was designed by Valencian-born architect Santiago Calatrava who has designed incredible buildings all over the world.

The best way to see the whole building is on a tour, which costs 11 euro (about $15, £10 or AU$20).

The smallest venue at the Palau, the Aula Magistral seats 378. It's used for music performances, of course, but also conferences and lectures.

Various practice rooms line this subterranean passage, which is illuminated by sunlight shining through a partially glass ceiling.

The Martí i Soler Theatre is located under the base of the plume arch that seems to float over the Palau. It seats 400 and is primarily used for baroque opera and chamber music performances.

Our tour took us underneath the main stage at the Sala Principal, or Main Hall. 

The ceiling here is actually the underside of the stage that's currently in place in the Sala Principal. It descends when not in use into the pit at the bottom. 

It's a vast space, large enough to hold two complete sets.

The Sala Principal seats 1,412. It's mainly used for opera, but can be configured and used for other performances as well.

The grand space with its huge stage also has one of the largest orchestra pits in the world. During my visit, they were working on a set for an upcoming run of "Le nozze di Figaro."

The back of every seat has a small screen that gives a real-time translation.

The unfinished concrete of the Sala Principal balconies are quite striking.

The Sala Principal stairs have an almost organic spiral.

The same helicoidal stairs, viewed from below. That's me in the picture with Paloma, our excellent tour guide.

The Auditori is the largest venue at the Palau, even larger than the Sala Principal, seating 1,490. The supports give it an organic, inside-a-rib-cage feel.

Primarily the Auditori is used for symphonic concerts and movie premieres.

There's a small park in the Palau. The terrace functions as a reception and waiting area for the Auditori concert hall.

The famous Spanish sun wasn't bright over Valencia during my early-autumn visit.

Hard, flat surfaces can be an issue when managing the sound of a space. In a combination of aesthetics and acoustics, sections of the rear walls have bowed-out domes to reflect sound away from the listeners. 

Some of the spaces in the Palau are available for private events so, you know, if you want a spot for your next low-key birthday party.

The Palau is surrounded by 60,000 square meters (71,759 square yards) of gardens and 11,000 square meters (13,156 square yards) of water.

Most of the exterior is covered in small ceramic tiles, an homage the legendary Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí.

The Palau is the tallest opera house in the world, at 75 meters, or 246 ft.  

The space at the bottom is the Contrapunto restaurant and bar. 

The metal "plume," that arches over the Palau is secured to the footbridge on one end and floats at the other end. It's attached to the building at only one point.

The Palau is at one end of the City of Arts and Sciences complex, which has multiple incredible buildings.

Two of the buildings, and the bridge in the distance, together definitely resemble something. I can't put my finger on it, but it's making me hungry.

L'Hemisfèric on its own resembles an eye. The center sphere, the iris if you will, is an Imax theater and planetarium. 

Technically it's a science museum. I think it's the Cylon Resurrection Ship from Battlestar Galactica. 

It's all even more stunning at night.

There are multiple tours available several times a day, most days. Or you can always get a ticket to one of the many performances. 

For more about this building and our tour, check out The sci-fi wonder of Valencia's opera house.