Torre Glòries

Torre Glòries, formerly known as Torre Agbar because it was made for Agbar, Barcelona’s water supply company, is a 144 metre-tall skyscraper with 33 floors, 4 of which are underground. The building, located at Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, is the third tallest in Barcelona after the Torre Mapfre and Hotel Arts at the Olympic Port. It was designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel with a shape reminiscent of the pinnacles of Montserrat Mountain and the forms that Gaudí used for the Sagrada Família.

Inside the tower, which is built on an ovoid floor plan, there is a large space without pillars which houses the lifts. Its most outstanding feature is its exterior, made of glass sheets in the form of adjustable blinds in different colours: warmer at the bottom, blue in the central section and white at the top. At night, 4,000 LED-technology devices create images around its cylindrical perimeter.

It is a building that was designed with sustainability criteria and it uses solar energy and phreatic water to reduce its energy consumption. What’s more, the facade has temperature sensors that automatically regulate the closure of the glass panels that make up the skin of the skyscraper.

How do you get to Torre Glòries?

You can get to Torre Glòries by going down to the Glòries stop on the Red Route of Barcelona Bus Turístic, on Carrer de Zamora, and then taking Avinguda Meridiana on the right.

For the most curious of you

• Did you know? The facade of Torre Glòries has 60,000 120 × 30 centimetre glass sheets. They are cleaned by a team of six people four times a year!
• Local’s tip: This large tower marks the gateway to the 22@ technology district, which lies within Poblenou, where you can relax and enjoy the sunshine on its quiet streets and central avenue.
• A must: For those interested in contemporary architecture and modern Barcelona.