Agbar Tower in Barcelona

Agbar Tower

La Agbar Tower in Barcelona It has become a symbol of the Barcelona. It has not yet reached the status of other monuments such as the Sagrada Familia or Montjuïc complex, but is on the way to achieve it.

With its peculiar shape, it dominates the skyline from Barcelona. Its inauguration by the Kings of Spain It took place on September 16, 2005 and owes its name to the company that promoted its construction: Barcelona waters. But this was not its first owner, but the second. He acquired the building from the Azurelau investment group in 2010 to sell it a few years later. If you want to visit it, we are going to explain everything you need to know about the Torre Agbar de Barcelona.

Where is it and how to get there

Trolley car

The tram that reaches the Torre Agbar

La Glories Tower, as this building is currently called, is located in the Diagonal Avenue number 211, where it meets Badajoz street. It is also right next to the Square of the Glories, a green space whose remodeling was inaugurated in April 2019. It is, therefore, one of the most modern areas of Barcelona.

In fact, the location of the Agbar Tower is considered the entry point to the technological area, called District 22@. And, how could it be otherwise, the Plaza de las Glorias includes constructions as modern as the Design Museum of Barcelona and the revamped Els Encants market.

For all this, it will be very easy for you to reach the Torre Agbar. You can do it in your own vehicle, as you have parking lots in the area. But we advise you to use the public transport for higher comfort. The urban bus lines that reach the area where it is located are the 7, the 192, the H12, the V23 and the X1. However, if you prefer, you can use the metro. In your case, it will be 1 line and the station, precisely, of Glories.

You can even use the tram to get there. So you have to take the 4 line. Likewise, the tourist transports of the Ciudad Condal take you to the tower. For example, him Barcelona Tourist Bus and the one included in the Barcelona City Tour.

The Agbar Tower of Barcelona in figures

Agbar Tower from afar

The Agbar Tower in the skyline from Barcelona

If you propose to visit the Torre Glòries, it is also interesting that you know its main data. Have Meters 144, which makes it one of the highest in Barcelona. Specifically, since its inauguration in 2005, it became the third for this concept, only behind the Hotel Arts and the Torre MapfreMore, both 154 meters.

Its height translates into 34 plants above ground, but it also has four other underground ones. Regarding its surface, it is nothing less than 50 square meters. More than half of them, some thirty thousand, correspond to offices. The rest is distributed in technical facilities (3210 square meters) and services (8132, which include an auditorium), as well as car parks (9132).

On the other hand, for its construction were used 25 cubic meters of concrete y 250 kilograms of steel. Likewise, a lot of aluminum and glass were used. The latter served for the exterior, where almost sixty thousand windows were placed. As you can see, all the details of the construction of the Torre Agbar in Barcelona are colossal. But it also presents unique construction features.

Construction characteristics of the tower

Access to the Agbar Tower

Main entrance to the Agbar Tower

The original shape of the Torre Agbar in Barcelona is due to the collaboration of the French Jean Nouvel with the company b720 Fermin Vazquez Architects. As they explained, his model was the aforementioned Gaudi's Holy Family, more specifically its bell towers, but also the whimsical shapes of the Montserrat mountain. Also, since the project was to function as the headquarters of a water company, they wanted to represent a gushing geyser.

At the time, the bold design of the tower caused a great controversy in the city, but now it has become one of the benchmarks of its skyline. The construction was carried out by the Dragados company and lasted almost six years. In total, they worked on the building almost twelve hundred people.

the tower presents oval shape. In a more colloquial way, we will tell you that it resembles a bullet or a cucumber. But actually they are two non-concentric oval cylinders They are placed in such a way that the larger one covers the smaller one. The external is culminated by a steel and glass dome. In this, also, are the windows and other openings, while the interior houses technical installations such as stairs or elevators.

On the other hand, as we told you, the Torre Glòries in Barcelona has a total of 38 floors, four of them underground. Two of the latter are intended for parking, while the other two house the auditorium that we have already mentioned and that has a capacity for 316 people, the spaces for receiving merchandise and the archive.

Regarding the 34 plants above ground, 28 of them are dedicated to offices. There are also three that house the technical construction facilities and another two dedicated to multipurpose room and coffee shop. Finally, the upper floor, just under the dome, is a lookout What can you visit. Later, we will explain how. But first we want to talk to you about the lighting of the tower.

The lighting of the Torre Agbar in Barcelona

The Tower at night

The illuminated tower at night in Barcelona

One of the latest activities that have been added to the tourist circuits of Barcelona is to observe the tower at night. Seeing it illuminated is quite a spectacle. are activated more than four thousand five hundred led devices along the entire façade. However, they also work independently allowing different sets of images to be generated.

It has a sophisticated computer system that reproduces sixteen million images and really impressive color transitions. But the best thing is that it has LED technology that offers a superb energy efficiency and minimal cost. According to its creators, having the entire construction illuminated for an hour emits very little CO2 into the atmosphere and only costs about six euros.

Precisely, the person responsible for designing the lighting of the tower was the French conceptual artist Yann Kersale, who baptized his work as diffraction. We advise you, if you have the opportunity, to enjoy this magnificent show. But, logically, you also have to visit his viewpoint, which we mentioned earlier.

Climb to the viewpoint of the Tower

tower dome

The tower dome

Merlín Properties, which has held possession of the Torre Agbar for a few years, offers you different experiences in construction. organize visits premium, like those titled Good Morning Barcelona o The Architect's Vision 22@. You can also visit it within tourist packages such as the aforementioned Barcelona City Tour.

However, so that the information we provide you can be used at any time of the year, we are going to explain what the general visit to the tower is like. Then we will talk about other experiences.

El viewpoint hours It changes depending on the time of year. Thus, from April 10 to October 21, it is from 9.30 a.m. to 18.30 p.m. For its part, from October 15 to March XNUMX, it is from XNUMX:XNUMX a.m. to XNUMX:XNUMX p.m. Finally, it is closed on December XNUMX and January XNUMX, while on the eve of these dates it closes at XNUMX:XNUMX p.m.

For its part, the visit lasts about fifty minutes and you can only enter up to an hour before closing. Likewise, the eviction will be done thirty minutes before the closing time. As for the standard price of tickets, it is from 15 euros for adults and 12 for those under 17 years of age and for those over 65. Children under five years of age do not have to pay. However, if you get the tickets at the box office, the price increases by 3 euros. Therefore, we advise you to take them beforehand.

What the visit includes

The tower at sunset

Nice image of the tower at sunset

The standard visit to the Torre Agbar viewpoint in Barcelona includes access to it, which allows you to get wonderful views of the city. But also visit the call Hiperviewer. This is advertised as "a viewpoint without windows". Not in vain is it in the first basement of the building. But it offers you another image of Barcelona. Because it consists of several artistic installations created from the collection of data from the city in real time. It is a magnificent experience that combines Big Data technology with music, images and popular science.

Another option offered by Torre Glòries is the so-called Cloud Cities Barcelona. It consists of a tour inside an artistic work of Thomas Saraceno located one hundred and thirty meters high. So unique is this experience that it is prohibited for children under 12 years of age and even requires a good physical condition to access it. The reason is that you will have to go up and down slopes and even slide in some sections.

In conclusion, we have shown you everything you need to know to visit the Agbar Tower in Barcelona. If you decide to meet her, now you know what hours she has, how much it will cost you and what kind of options she offers you. It only remains for us to advise you that, since you are in the Barcelona, you can also see other of its emblematic places such as the one already mentioned Sagrada Familia, Gothic Quarter or Park of the Citadel. Dare to discover the charms of Barcelona.


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