The Auditori
Impeccable acoustics and music to suit all tastes
The Auditori de Barcelona is one of the leading Catalan cultural institutions. It is the home of the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra and the National Orchestra of Catalonia (OBC), it offers a wide range of concerts and musical activities throughout the year.
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Why visit the Auditori?
The Auditori is the most important music centre in Barcelona. Apart from being the home of the OBC and the city’s municipal band, it houses the Museu de la Música and the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya (ESMUC). One of the centre’s most important functions is educational, and one of its main objectives is to guarantee accessibility to culture. For this reason, the social aspect of the programme is complemented with educational activities for all.
Opened in 1999, it is a modern building that cover 42,000 square metres, and was designed by Rafael Moneo, one of the most renowned Spanish architects in the world. It has three concert halls, each named after a Catalan musician: the Pau Casals symphonic hall, (2,340 spectators), the Oriol Martorell Hall (600 spectators), and the Tete Montoliu hall (400 spectators). Rafael Moneo worked on the design of the concert halls with Professor Higini Arau, a world expert in the field of architectural acoustics.
The concert halls are located around a central atrium that houses one of the building’s gems: a monumental cubic glass skylight in the form of an impluvium, decorated with paintings by Pablo Palazuelo.
The Auditori is located next to the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya, in the Plaça de les Arts. This is an area dedicated to culture near the new urban centre that has been created around Plaça de les Glòries, where you can see some notable examples of contemporary architecture, such as Torre Glòries and Disseny Hub, which show the ability to transform from Barcelona.
How do you get to the Auditori?
The Auditori is located opposite the Glòries stop on the Barcelona Bus Turístic Red Route. Go down c/ Zamora and cross Av Meridiana in the direction of c/ Padilla - you will find the building on the left.
For the more curious of you
- Did you know? The Auditori was the first concert hall in Spain to be accepted by the European Concert Hall Organisation, Europe’s most important association of auditoriums.
- Local's tip: We advise planning your visit well in advance, and enjoying the perfect acoustics of the halls by attending one of the countless concerts programmed. Apart from the programme for adults, each season offers more than 90 activities for children, created by a team of educators, composers, musicians, choreographers and stage directors.
- A must: music lovers and parents who want to give their children unique musical experiences.
