The Agbar Tower (or Glòries Tower): a skyscraper that has become emblematic in Barcelona
Since 2005, the astonishing silhouette of the Agbar Tower has stood out in the urban landscape of Barcelona. Designed by the famous French architect Jean Nouvel in collaboration with the Spaniard Fermín Vásquez, this singularly shaped tower has become one of the icons of the Catalan capital.
Agbar Tower or Glòries Tower?
Designed to be the headquarters of the water company of Barcelona (Aguas de Barcelona), this architectural masterpiece is known as the Agbar Tower. The first letters: Ag for Aguas and Bar for Barcelona eventually formed its name: Torre Agbar.
Since the Barcelona water company no longer owns it, it was renamed the Glòries Tower because of its location near the square of the same name, in the 22@, Barcelona’s technological district. But few people call it that. For many Barcelonans, it remains the Agbar Tower.
The tower was to become a luxury hotel of the Hyatt chain, but the estimated cost of converting its offices into hotel rooms was too high and the project was abandoned.
The history of the Agbar Tower or Glòries Tower
Where does its amazing design come from?
Jean Nouvel, a fervent admirer of Antoni Gaudí‘s genius, wanted the shape of the Agbar Tower to echo that of the towers of the Sagrada Familia. Like Gaudí, the French architect was also inspired by the rounded curves of Montserrat, a famous mountain range located about 60 kilometres from Barcelona.
Jean Nouvel identifies his architectural work as “a fluid mass that gushes from the ground like a geyser under a permanent and calculated pressure.” This idea is reinforced by the colours of the Agbar Tower: for the floors close to the ground, a range of red ochre which, towards the top of the tower, turns blue to blend in with the sky.
However, the design of the Agbar Tower has given rise to many controversies and is not always unanimously accepted. Its shape is often compared to that of a suppository, a shell, or an erected phallus.
For some, the Agbar Tower is like a huge gherkin because it looks surprisingly like another skyscraper nicknamed “The Gherkin” by Londoners: the “30 St Mary Axe” completed in 2004 and located in the business district of London.
Regardless of the positive or negative opinions, the Agbar Tower has become an unavoidable symbol of Barcelona that visitors from all over the world are eager to discover and see up close.
Agbar Tower: construction and description
It took 6 years to build this tower with its innovative and extremely complex structure. The work lasted from 1999 to 2005.
The Agbar Tower is 144 meters high. Of its 38 floors, 4 are underground. After the Mapfre Tower and the Hotel Arts de la Barceloneta, it is the third highest skyscraper in Barcelona.
The last six floors of the tower narrow to form a 30-meter-high dome made of 250,000 kilos of steel and glass.
Its cylindrical shape, designed without a main façade, allows all the surrounding parts of the city to be seen in an identical way from its 4949 randomly distributed windows. The windows facing the Sagrada Familia have no transoms to allow Gaudí’s masterpiece to be admired from the Agbar Tower.
Its concrete structure is covered with coloured aluminium plates and glass slats of various inclinations that allow the tower to change colour depending on the season or time of day.
Illumination of the Agbar Tower at night
The skilful orchestration of the 4,500 LED devices on its façade allows the replication, at a very low cost, of 16 million colours that can change hue, thus creating stunning lighting effects.
Illumination schedule
The tower is illuminated every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
- from 1 October to 31 March: from 8pm to 11pm
- from 1 April to 30 September: from 9pm to 12pm
The Agbar Tower climbed several times
Frenchman Alain Robert, aka “Spider-Man” set out to conquer the Agbar Tower three times. His last ascent was in November 2016.
At the end of 2019, Leo Urban and Nico Mathieux, two young French YouTubers, set out, in turn, to tackle the Agbar Tower with their bare hands and without protection. They filmed their entire ascent, which lasted no more than 30 minutes.
In August 2020, Leo Urban repeated the experience on his own, but barefoot this time! To celebrate his victory, he did a handstand at the top of the dome. It was a daring move!
What to visit around the Agbar Tower?
The 22@ district
If the Agbar Tower attracts you, the contemporary design of its neighbourhood will undoubtedly also interest you!
The 22@ district, where the Glòries Tower is located, is an area where impressive modern buildings stand next to old factories that have been renovated into amazing creative spaces.
The Design Museum
Right next to the Agbar Tower is the Design Museum. Why not take a moment to visit it?
How to get to the Agbar Tower?
Address, metro station, and bus lines
The Agbar Tower is located on Avenida Diagonal at number 211 near the metro station Glòries (red line nº1)
You can also get there by taking the tourist bus and getting off at the stop Glòries Torre Agbar.
Bus lines 92, 192, 7, and H12 will also take you there.
Enjoy your exploration!