Torre Glòries — long known as Torre Agbar — is one of the most recognisable buildings on the Barcelona skyline. Completed in 2005, it has become a symbol of the modern city.
Standing 144 metres tall over 38 floors (four of them underground), Torre Glòries is one of Barcelona’s tall buildings and the highest in the Glòries and 22@ technology district. It is not, however, the tallest building in the city: the twin Olympic towers on the seafront — Hotel Arts and Torre Mapfre — each reach 154 metres, so this bullet-shaped tower ranks third overall.
The tower sits next to Plaça de les Glòries, serving as a gateway to Barcelona’s technological district, the 22@. In 2017 it was officially renamed Torre Glòries after the water utility Aigües de Barcelona (Agbar) moved out, though most visitors and locals still call it Torre Agbar.
The project was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, known for bold, controversial buildings worldwide such as the Dentsu tower in Tokyo and the Galeries Lafayette in Berlin. He conceived this tower in Barcelona as a fusion of natural elements: water, evoking the company that once occupied it; fire, expressed through its red tones and lighting; and earth, from which the tower emerges like an enormous bullet rising into the sky.
The Mirador Torre Glòries
Since 2022, visitors can go up the tower. The Mirador Torre Glòries observation experience occupies the upper floors and includes “Hyperview”, an immersive viewpoint under the tower’s glass dome, with 360° panoramas across the city, the sea and the mountains. Tickets are limited and should be booked ahead through the official Mirador Torre Glòries site.
How to get there
Public transport
- Metro: L1, stop Glòries.
- Bus: 7, 56, 60 and 92.
- Tram: T4 and T5, stop Glòries.
History and design
When Jean Nouvel planned the tower he drew on symbols of Catalan culture: the rounded contours of the mountain of Montserrat, Catalonia’s great sanctuary, and the towers of the Sagrada Família built by Gaudí.
The architect chose unusual materials and designed the building around solar energy to reduce consumption. Its façade combines glass panels and lacquered aluminium plates that shift in colour with the sunlight, from red at the base to blue near the top.
Behind these features lies an exhaustive study of light and the placement of each window, floor by floor. One of the tower’s greatest achievements is its night-time illumination: more than 4,000 LED devices project shifting patterns of light across the façade, making it visible from almost anywhere in the city.
FAQFrequently asked questions
What is the tallest building in Barcelona?
The tallest buildings in Barcelona are the twin Olympic towers on the seafront — Hotel Arts and Torre Mapfre — both standing 154 metres tall. Torre Glòries (formerly Torre Agbar) reaches 144 metres, making it the third-tallest building in the city, though it is the most distinctive on the skyline.
What is the bullet-shaped building in Barcelona called?
The bullet-shaped building in Barcelona is Torre Glòries, still widely known by its original name Torre Agbar. Locals often nickname it 'el supositori' (the suppository) for its unmistakable rounded, tapering shape.
Can you go up Torre Glòries?
Yes. Since 2022 the tower has an observation deck, the Mirador Torre Glòries, on the upper floors, offering 360° views over Barcelona. Tickets should be booked in advance via the official site, as availability is limited.