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Looking outside my window of my hotel room in Barcelona, I spy a strange-looking cylinder decorating the skyline.
Torre Glòries…formerly known as the Torre Agbar.
The contemporary bullet-shaped landmark ascends from Plaça de les Glòries and fills the skyline with the reflected colors of the Mediterranean by day and a multi-hued schemes by night. Though seemingly out of place among the more commonly shaped buildings, I rather enjoy its presence as it always lets me know where I am in the city.
Inaugurated in 2003, the iconic landmark was designed by Atelier Jean Nouvel to act as the headquarters for the water company, Grup Agbar. Often described as a water tower by the uninformed, because of its owners, it is not that in the true sense of the description, but rather only an office building. Standing just over 473 feet tall, it utilizes solar power and is covered with different colored glass louvers which can be tilted at different angles. These window blinds are regulated by temperature sensors (regulating the consumption of energy for air conditioning) and are illuminated by 4,500 LED devices. During holidays and other events, the tower’s lighting scheme can easily be changed by computer.
Though it is the third tallest building in the city and one for which the city has become known, it has not come about without it critics. Opened in June 2005, to a cost of 130 million euros, its design concept was described by the architect as one of a geyser spouting upward, the perfect home for a water company, though further leading people to believe it to be a water tower. It has also been said to have been inspired by the nearby mountain, Montserrat. Many others have also described the tower as having a phallic character. This unusual shape has garnered it several nicknames, el supositori (“the suppository”), l’obús (“the shell”) and it has been said that its round shape does not foster a productive environment for those who work within its walls.
The tower, though touted as a tourist attraction, is one that can only viewed from afar. Many tour groups and the Hop On, Hop Off buses offer it as a stopping point on their circuits, however, it is not open to the general public…such a waste as I had once read that it had intended to offer an observation deck. Views of the city from this location would have been unparalleled. However, even viewing it from the outside, it is still a landmark that cannot be missed. Go on a clear, blue-sky day and you won’t be disappointed with how beautiful it stands out against the heavens.
And, at night, check its location against the skyline to get your bearings…but seeing the luminous beauty of this water tower is even more wonderful!
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Torre Glòries (Torre Agbar)
- http://www.torreagbar.com/
- Address: Avinguda Diagonal, 211, 08018 Barcelona, Spain
- Hours: Not open to the public
- Admission: Not open to the public
- Getting There: Metro stop, Glòries.