Agbar Tower

Tower of Agbar

Agbar Tower is a modern skyscraper and one of the symbols of the new Barcelona. The streamlined shapes of the high-rise building are very reminiscent of British architect Norman Foster’s famous London high-rise, which was nicknamed “The Cucumber”. Barcelona Tower has 34 above-ground floors, 4 underground levels and a height of 144.4 meters. In 2016, Agbar Tower was ranked 14th among skyscrapers in Spain. The “Catalan cucumber” houses the head office of Aguas de Barcelona, which is responsible for controlling the city’s water supply system. The tower was named after the abbreviation of this holding company, Grupo Agbar.”

Video: Agbar Tower

General Information

The unusual building stands out from the surrounding buildings and in a few years has become as much a symbol of the Catalan capital as the Montserrat mountain range or the sharp spires of the majestic Sagrada Familia Cathedral. Today, there are only two skyscrapers in Barcelona taller than the Agbar Tower. These are the Arts Hotel and the Mapfre Tower, rising to a height of 154 meters. Interestingly, Alain Robert, a famous climber from France, has climbed Agbar Tower among other skyscrapers.

Barcelona high-rise is covered with colored panels of metal, where more than 4 thousand LED devices are embedded. Thanks to them, on the surface of the skyscraper formed complex light combinations – up to 16 million shades. From afar, small “pixels” are not visible at all, so Agbar Tower shimmers with different colors and resembles a huge jewel.

Tourists

It is possible to see the tower on any day. Exhibitions are often held in its lobby, and there are restaurants and cafes on the floors, in addition to offices. Entrance to the building is free.

In the evenings, the skyscraper is beautifully illuminated: from April to October from 21.00 to 00.00, and from November to March from 19.00 to 23.00. During this time, Agbar Tower turns into a neon dome glittering with multicolored lights, so many tourists compare it to a brightly decorated Christmas tree.

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A souvenir store is open on the first floor of the skyscraper. It is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a break from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m., and on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with a break from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.

History of the construction of Agbar Tower

The high-rise building was designed by Frenchman Jean Nouvel. The architect is well known in the world and is the winner of the prestigious Pritzker Prize. In addition to Barcelona, buildings constructed according to the original designs of Nouvel, stand in Paris, Lucerne, Madrid, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and other cities. In addition to the French architect, the Spanish firm “b720 Arquitectos” participated in the design of the high-rise.

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The site for the Barcelona skyscraper was chosen as the border of the modern technological quarter “22@”. The large-scale construction began in 1999 and was completed in 2005. All work was carried out by the construction company Dragados. According to Nouvel himself, the construction of the skyscraper was strongly influenced by the traditions of Catalan architecture, in particular, the world-famous Antoni Gaudi’s buildings. The inauguration ceremony of Agbar Tower was attended by the King of Spain.

Features of the architecture

Agbar Tower is built with modern climate control technology. It is covered with panels of glass that move like blinds based on temperature sensor readings. This ensures less heating of the building’s surface and optimal ventilation. Rectangular glass “scales” contribute to competent energy saving and give the building a mystical look. The skyscraper is also made original by its 4500 windows, which are placed out of any order and without observing traditional architectural canons.

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The total area of the interior premises is over 50.9 thousand m², most of which – 30 thousand m² – is given for offices. The rest of the area is used for a spacious auditorium, technical needs and a parking lot with 256 parking spaces. Many rooms in the building have a free layout.

How to get there

Agbar Tower is located Avinguda Diagonal, 211. This part of the Catalan capital is conveniently reached by the L1 metro line. It is necessary to ride to the station “Glories”. In addition, buses 7, 92, H12, N2, N7 and streetcars 5 and 6 stop near the skyscraper.