2024-09-25 12:54:12
Since 2022, visitors have been able to climb around the glass roof of Barcelona’s tallest building – that is the work of art created by Argentine artist Tomás Saraceno. When the weather is good, the view of the city and the sea is amazing and the experience is almost meditative.
First bend down and stretch, then lift one leg up in the next capsule and lift up with both arms. Duck your head, change your weight, guide yourself – on the right there is a dead end, on the left you continue in this spider’s web of 9,000 cables placed on the dome of the Torre Glories.
The towering work of art, almost 150 meters high above Barcelona, is reminiscent of a beehive. However, most honey floors are transparent. I am reminded for a moment of the “Squid Game” series, an episode with a bridge game in which the participants do not know which tiles are made of strong safety glass and which are fragile, conventional glass. The reward is waiting for me at the next honey bridge: it is lined with cushions and invites you to take a break, look into the installation and enjoy the panoramic view of Barcelona.
Torre Glòries, with its phallus-shaped silhouette and its nighttime LED light, has been a characteristic part of the Barcelona skyline since 2005. The observation deck on the 30th floor is only open to visitors from 2022. Here, the artist Argentine Tomás Saraceno presents his multisensory work of art Cloud Cities, a cable network with 1,200 panels and 260 anchoring points.
The fact that it is not only about seeing the city from above, but also about reviewing your own role in the urban world, and indeed in the world, becomes clear as soon as you enter the complex. First the path leads to the basement and through a heavy curtain into dark rooms full of round objects. “Close your eyes for a moment and listen,” said the almost meditative voice of the voice guide. It is music that changes based on large amounts of data in real time.
Wind, sea temperature, sun – Barcelona as a living organism measured pulse here. Then the screen is bigger than the cinema screen. “Stand before him and breathe,” said the voice. Data comes out about stars, pollen concentrations in the air, and CO₂ emissions.
Torre Glòries offers a great view of Barcelona
The elevator that whizzes up to the 30th floor has a glass roof and lets me see all the way up. “You’re lucky, the view is good,” said the elevator operator, just before the 360-degree view of Barcelona opened up. Here, in Plaça de les Glòries, is one of the centers of the metropolis, where the three main roads Meridiana, Gran Via and Diagonal meet. And here we are roughly at the height of the Sagrada family – the fact that the Torre Glòries was not designed to be large was understood by the architect Jean Nouvel as a tribute to the unfinished work of Gaudí.
Before I went further on the spider web, I was asked to empty my pockets and put anything that might fall out while riding in the locker. I got a strap to hang my cell phone around my neck. As a note, I also get the information of the fork path between, into a simple and high contrast. Don’t worry, everyone has come to this: “We don’t have to call the fire department.”
Tips and information:
Torre Glòries is located at Avinguda Diagonal 211, open March to mid-October from 10 am to 9 pm, then from 9:30 am to 6:30 pm. Online tickets are 15 euros, on-site tickets are 3 euros more. Important: be sure to wear sports, comfortable clothes and shoes (miradortorreglories.com).
The article is an excerpt from the book “Barcelona – Adventure” by travel journalist Frank Feldmeier, Michael Müller Publishing (240 pages, 17.90 euros). The book describes 33 experiences in and around Barcelona that are amazing and take place off the usual tourist routes.
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