The Mirador de la Torre Glòries is much more than a viewpoint. Art, science, and technology intertwine to create a multifaceted experience that aims not only to see Barcelona from above but also to try to understand it a little more from different perspectives. "It is a watchtower from which to look at and understand the city's present and imagine its future," says its director, Aleix Pratdepàdua. Dynamic artistic installations and music in constant construction accompany this journey through the new hyper-viewpoint of the Catalan capital, which will open to the public on Friday, with tickets starting from 15 euros.
Conceived as a cultural facility, before seeing the views, the tour begins with various sensory installations that reflect on the city, its natural elements, and its many inhabitants beyond humans. The project, developed and managed by Mediapro Exhibitions, includes clips like flashes that depict scenes of the city, and an immersive projection that analyzes its sky, wind, and sea, with continuously updated data. The pollution present in the city is also put on the table, perhaps preparing attendees in case the views are blurred depending on the day. It is completed with a hundred folded paper figures made by artist Joan Sallas, representing all the species that coexist in the city, even the most unpopular ones, such as rats, pigeons, seagulls, parakeets, cockroaches, or wild boars. All of this is accompanied by a soundtrack that collects the sounds of the city and changes, created by Maria Arnal and John Talabot.
Once immersed in the other realities present in Barcelona, obviously, the views of the city could not be missed. At 125 meters high and with a 360-degree perspective, one can entertain themselves by searching for any place in the city because, without exception, everything can be seen, even where one lives. Starting with the immediate surroundings, which allow one to monitor the progress of the works in Plaça de les Glòries or discover that the Disseny Hub has its roof full to the brim with photovoltaic panels, and reaching any point in the city and its surroundings. From a central position in the Catalan capital, one can entertain themselves by finding the Sagrada Família and its new star, the tallest buildings in the city ---the Arts hotel and the Mapfre Tower---, the future La Sagrera station, the port, the Tres Xemeneies of Sant Adrià de Besòs, Plaça Europa in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat... La Meridiana, Diagonal, and Gran Via serve as guides to not get lost in this inspection.
The review of the heights can also be done from inside Cloud Cities Barcelona, the work of artist Tomás Saraceno ---paying ten euros more---, a set of round receptacles suspended in the air. And, for those tired of searching for iconic spaces in the city, books have been included to pass the time. They can also entertain themselves by going from one cubicle to another, if they want to get in shape. The installation occupies an area of 130 square meters and is made up of more than 100 independent spaces to settle in, like "condensed water drops suspended in the threads of a three-dimensional spiderweb," with 5,000 nodes connecting six kilometers of tensioned cables. It is Saraceno's first permanent and walkable artistic installation in Southern Europe.
Adapting the facilities
The new Mirador de la Torre Glòries has involved the renovation of different spaces in the building designed at the beginning of the century by architects Jean Nouvel and Fermín Vázquez, now consolidated as an icon of the Catalan capital. The works have lasted four years, with the pandemic in between, says Javier Zarrabeitia, senior advisor at Merlin Properties, owner of the building since 2017.
The works have lasted four years, with the pandemic in between, says Javier Zarrabeitia, senior advisor at Merlin PropertiesThe real estate company had considered opening the Glòries Tower to the city from the beginning and has finally achieved it.To do so, it has had to intervene in the dome from which to observe Barcelona, eliminating the last floor to be able to increase the visitable space.And, to quickly reach the top, a forklift has been converted into a high-speed elevator. Specifically, it makes the journey in 34 seconds that fly by, even more so if one gets distracted looking at how it ascends through its glass roof.
Another of the actions that had to be carried out was to adapt floor -1 of the building, previously used as a warehouse and service area, and convert it into an open-plan space of 950 square meters in which to fit the previous museum route. Finally, so as not to interfere with the daily operation of the offices that occupy most of the floors, an independent and direct entrance to this hyper-viewpoint has been enabled.