Torre Agbar
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| Torre Agbar | |
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| Information | |
|---|---|
| Location |  Barcelona, Spain |
| Coordinates | Coordinates: |
| Status | Complete |
| Constructed | 2001 - 2004 |
| Opening | June 2005 |
| Use | Office, conference, restaurant |
| Roof | 144.44 m (473.88 ft) |
| Top floor | 128.3 m (421 ft) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 33 |
| Floor area | 51,483 m² (554,158 sq ft) |
| Elevator count | 9 |
| Cost | US$130,000,000 |
| Companies | |
| Architect | Jean Nouvel |
| Structural Engineer |
Brufau & A. Obiol |
| Owner | Grupo Inmobiliario Layetana |
References: [1][2][3] |
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The Torre Agbar, or Agbar Tower, is a 21st-century skyscraper at Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. It was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel and built by Dragados[4]. It opened in June 2005 and was inaugurated officially by the King of Spain on 16 September 2005. The Torre Agbar is located in the Poblenou neighborhood of Barcelona and is named after its owners, the Agbar Group, a holding company whose interests include the Barcelona water company Aguas de Barcelona.[5]
Contents |
[edit] Design
According to Jean Nouvel, the shape of the Torre Agbar was inspired by Montserrat, a mountain near Barcelona, and by the shape of a geyser rising into the air. Jean Nouvel, in an interview, described it as having a phallic character.[6][7] As a result of its unusual shape, the building is known by several nicknames, such as "el supositori" (the suppository), "l'obús" (the shell) and some more scatological ones.[6] It is also somewhat similar in shape to Sir Norman Foster's 30 St. Mary Axe in London, often called "the Gherkin". It has 30,000 m² (323,000 ft²) of above-ground office space, 3,210 m² (34,500 ft²) of technical service floors with installations and 8,351 m² (90,000 ft²) of services, including an auditorium. The Agbar Tower measures 144.4 m (473.75 ft) in height[8] and consists of 38 storeys, including four underground levels.
Its design combines a number of different architectural concepts, resulting in a striking structure built with reinforced concrete, covered with a facade of glass, and over 4,500 window openings cut out of the structural concrete. The building stands out in Barcelona; it is the third tallest building in Barcelona, only after the Arts Hotel and the Mapfre Tower, both 154 m (505.25 ft).
A defining feature of the building is its nocturnal illumination. It has 4,500 LED luminous devices that allow generation of luminous images in the façade. In addition, it has temperature sensors in the outside of the tower that regulate the opening and closing of the glass blinds of the façade of the building, reducing the consumption of energy for air conditioning. It will house the head office of the Aigües de Barcelona Group (Spanish: "Aguas de Barcelona", English: "Waters of Barcelona").
[edit] Cultural use
A photo of the tower is used in AutoCAD 2008's splash screen.
[edit] Gallery
 Torre Agbar, 12 September 2007 |
 Torre Agbar façade |
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 Alain Robert climbing Torre Agbar, 9 October 2007 |
 The courtyard of Torre Agbar |
 Torre Agbar LED luminous devices by day |
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 Torre Agbar by night, 3 February 2007 |
[edit] See also
- 30 St Mary Axe, also known as "The Gherkin", and occasionally as The Swiss Re Tower, is an architecturally similar building in London which opened a year and a half earlier, in April 2004.
- Alain Robert, a famous climber who has scaled the building.
[edit] References
- ^ Torre Agbar - SkyscraperPage.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-14.
- ^ Torre Agbar - Emporis.com. Retrieved on 2007-11-14.
- ^ Arquitectura Barcelona, Torre Agbar. Retrieved on 2007-11-14.
- ^ Structurae database
- ^ http://www.agbar.es/esp/a-9_quienes_somos.asp Agbar corporate Web site
- ^ a b Notícias Agbar (Includes interview with Jean Nouvel) quote from the Jean Nouvel interview: In Torre Agbar call the suppository. What do you think? ¡Normal! But I am sure that his phallic character will be diluted when finished. What characterized the tower will be a big vibration of light. Lovers of the mottoes you find another name, sure. [sic] (Translation by Google)
- ^ El gran supositorio Article by El Pais, quote: The suppository of Agbar rises to the heavens quickly (Translation by Google)
- ^ Torre agbar homepage
[edit] External links
- Torre Agbar collection of articles.
- Torre Agbar web page (Macromedia Flash)
- Technical information and photos Spanish
| Preceded by Highcliff (Hong Kong, China) |
Emporis Skyscraper Award (Silver) 2004 |
Succeeded by Q1 Tower (Gold Coast, Australia) |
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