Agbar Jean Nouvel. Vodokanal Barcelona office building: a fantasy come true
Not so long ago, in 2005, an unusual skyscraper appeared in the center of Barcelona on Avenida Diagonal. This 34-story office building, shaped like an elongated egg or cigar, was designed by a French architect Jean Nouvel(Jean Novel). Torre Agbar- the headquarters of the company Aigues de Barcelona, which controls the city's water supply, sewerage and other public Utilities.
It's called Torre Agbar building, and it is the head office of Aigues de Barcelona, which controls the various public services in Barcelona. King of Spain Juan Carlos himself took part in the opening of the headquarters of the city government. The building can be seen from any part of the city. The buildings in Barcelona are very unusual, so the Nouvel skyscraper had to match them. Of particular interest is the facade of the building, consisting of thousands of multi-colored windows, which are complex color combinations, like in a mosaic. All of them are painted with 40 shades of enamel paint and sparkle in the sun like the surface of the sea. All these overflows create the effect of movement and vibration, which is very reminiscent of flowing water, this was Nouvel's idea to make a giant geyser or fountain out of his building. In the sun, the building shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow.
A special computer program determined the location of all 4400 windows of the skyscraper. This created certain problems with the preservation of the static shell of the building and its cost, because for each floor it was necessary to develop its own plan. The total office area is 39,000 sq. m, and the cost of the skyscraper is about 133 million euros.
Torre Agbar is interesting not only for its bizarre shape, but also for its complex multi-layered shell, similar to the scales of a giant fish. The facade of the skyscraper consists of two layers. The first of them looks like a hard concrete shell lined with bright metal sheets and randomly scattered squares of windows. The second layer is a whole system of translucent glass blinds fixed at arm's length.
This method, the so-called double façade, has become increasingly used in modern construction. These layers create excellent ventilation of the premises in a natural way, and also save a lot of space, because air conditioners and air ducts become unnecessary. In the cold season, this layer serves as an air buffer, delaying the release of heat to the outside, and in the summer, all the air accumulated during the night tends to inside.
Torre Agbar looks especially beautiful from Montjuic, when all of Barcelona is spread out in front of you. spiers Gothic Quarter, aspiring to the sky, and behind them the Nouvel skyscraper and Gaudi's "sandcastle". And no matter how silly it may sound, but gothic, hi-tech and modern look very harmonious and holistic. Such is Barcelona.
Biography
Jean Nouvel was born in 1945 in Sarlat, France. Since childhood, I wanted to become an artist, but my parents wanted their son to receive a more serious education. And so from 1966-1972 to study at the School of Fine Arts in Bordeaux. Shortly before graduating in 1970, he opened his first bureau together with F. Senior. And in 1994 he founded his own Jean Nouvel Atelier, which in 2006 became one of the largest French architectural firms. Currently, he is running more than 40 projects simultaneously, both in France and abroad. The headquarters is located in Paris, and bureau branches are scattered throughout Europe: Rome, Barcelona, London, Minneapolis, Copenhagen.
World fame came to Nouvel in 1982 after his victory in the competition with the project of the Arab World Institute.
In 1991, Nouvel was appointed vice-president of the French Institute of Architecture, and in 1993 became a member of the American Institute of Architects.
Jean Nouvel is a very versatile architect, he knows how to combine materials, colors and surfaces into a single whole like no other. He is one of the best architects in France and makes his projects throughout Europe, as well as Northern and South America and Asia. His style is not only interesting architectural solutions, but also the perfect integration of his projects into the landscape.
Torre Agbar has become a new milestone in the construction of high-rise buildings. Its iridescent design and fusion with the environment cannot be expressed in words, it must be seen, like any other work of Jean Nouvel, because they are all a surprise and a brilliance of architectural thought.
Outstanding buildings
Such works by Jean Nouvel as the Cartier Foundation once again brought France to the forefront of the architectural world. The largest representative of the French high-tech Nouvel creates not just smart buildings, but often plays on the optical disappearance of the building in the environment. His dissolving rainbow skyscraper in Barcelona - Torre Agbar - has become a new word in the construction of high-rise buildings. In 2006, Nouvel's new work was opened - the Museum of World Cultures at the Quai Branly in Paris, where the author managed to create an interplay of museum, environment and exhibits. Each of his works is a surprise and a brilliance of architectural thought.
1993 - Opera, Lyon
1995 - Fondation Cartier, Paris
1996 Galeries Lafayette, Berlin
2000 - Concert Hall in Lucerne
2001 - Golden Angel, Prague; Gasometer, Vienna
2002 - Monolith, Exhibition Complex, Mora, Switzerland
2003 - Gallo-Roman Museum, Perigault, France
2004 - New wing of the Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid
2005 - Torre Agbar, Barcelona.
2006 - Guthrie Theatre, Minneapolis, MN, USA
2009 - Copenhagen Concert Hall, Copenhagen, Denmark
2010 - 100 Eleventh Avenue, Manhattan, NY, USA
2010 - One New Change, London
2011 - Tower 25 in Nicosia
2012 - Doha 9 skyscraper, Doha, Qatar
2012 - City Hall, Montpellier.
Prepared by Andrey Getsevich
general information
The unusual building stands out noticeably against the background of the surrounding buildings and in a few years has become the same symbol of the capital of Catalonia, like the mountain range of Montserrat visible on the horizon or the sharp spiers of the majestic Sagrada Familia Cathedral. Today in Barcelona there are only two skyscrapers taller than the Agbar Tower. These are the Arts Hotel and the Mapfre Tower, rising to a height of 154 m. It is interesting that the famous climber from France, Alain Robert, among other skyscrapers, climbed the Agbar Tower.
The Barcelona skyscraper is sheathed with colored metal panels, where more than 4,000 LED devices are mounted. Thanks to them, complex light combinations are formed on the surface of the skyscraper - up to 16 million shades. From afar, small "pixels" are not visible at all, so the Agbar tower shimmers with different colors and resembles a huge gem.
Tourists
You can visit the tower any day. Exhibitions are often held in its lobby, and on the floors, in addition to offices, there are restaurants and cafes. Entrance to the building is free.
In the evenings, the skyscraper is beautifully illuminated: from April to October from 21.00 to 00.00, and from November to March from 19.00 to 23.00. At this time, the Agbar tower turns into a neon dome sparkling with multi-colored lights, so many tourists compare it to a brightly decorated New Year tree.
A souvenir shop is open on the ground floor of the skyscraper. From Monday to Friday it is open from 8.30 to 16.30, with a break from 13.00 to 14.00, and on Saturdays from 10.00 to 19.00, with a break from 15.00 to 16.00.
The history of the construction of the Agbar tower
The high-rise building was designed by the Frenchman Jean Nouvel. The architect is well known in the world and is a laureate of the prestigious Pritzker Prize. In addition to Barcelona, buildings built according to the original designs of Nouvel stand in Paris, Lucerne, Madrid, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro and other cities. In addition to the French architect, the Spanish firm b720 Arquitectos participated in the design of the skyscraper.
The border of the modern technological district was chosen as the place for the Barcelona skyscraper. [email protected]". Large-scale construction began in 1999 and completed in 2005. All work was carried out by the construction company "Dragados". According to Nouvel himself, the construction of the skyscraper took place under the strong influence of the traditions of Catalan architecture, in particular, the world-famous buildings of Antoni Gaudí. The king of Spain took part in the opening ceremony of the Agbar tower.
Architectural features
The Agbar Tower was built with modern climate control technologies in mind. It is covered with panels of glass that move like blinds according to temperature readings. Due to this, less heating of the building surface and its optimal ventilation are ensured. Rectangular glass "flakes" contribute to competent energy saving and give the building a mystical look. The original skyscraper is also made by its 4,500 windows, which are placed without any order and without observing traditional architectural canons.
The total area of internal premises is over 50.9 thousand m², most of them - 30 thousand m² - are given over to offices. The rest of the area is used for a spacious auditorium, technical needs and a car park with 256 parking spaces. Many rooms in the building have an open layout.
How to get there
The Agbar Tower is located at Avinguda Diagonal, 211. This part of the Catalan capital is easily accessible via the L1 metro line. You need to go to the Glories station. In addition, buses No. 7, 92, H12, N2, N7 and trams No. 5 and 6 stop near the skyscraper.
Barcelona is not only gothic cathedrals and masterpieces by Antonio Gaudí, beautiful parks, monuments and monuments. Here you can find new masterpieces of architecture built in the 21st century. One of them is the Agbar tower.
Torre Agbar is not hundreds of years old, it was built in 2005. But from this, this attraction does not cease to be very interesting for tourists and guests of Barcelona.
Agbar tower in all its glory
To be honest, I am rather vague about such buildings. This building in the city center spoils the uniform style of construction and stands out from the general structure of the city. In fairness, it is worth saying that the Agbar Tower is located not quite in the very center of the city. For example, it would be quite sad to watch the Agbar tower in. The analogy comes very quickly. The Montparnasse Tower in Paris, I think, will keep real Parisians awake for a long time, but there is a very tough case. The tower was built right in the center of the city, plus the center of Paris is more homogeneous than in Barcelona, where Gothic is adjacent to.
Agbar tower
Surprisingly, the name of the tower is absolutely not connected with religious themes, it somehow seems at first glance. So called it the owner of the largest holding company in Spain - Agbar Group. It is here that the office of the largest water distribution company in Spain, Aguas de Barcelona, is located.
Features of the architecture of the building
The Agbar tower owes its peculiar shape to the imagination of the famous Spanish urban planner, the Frenchman Jean Nouvel, who designed it, together with the b720 Arquitectos firm. Work on the tower was carried out with the participation of the builders of the company "Dragados". The construction of the skyscraper took a long 6 years and was characterized by large-scale construction. September 16, 2005 - the opening of a new skyscraper took place. Moreover, the king of Spain himself, Juan Carlos, participated in this event.
Despite the fact that outwardly, the structure is a bit reminiscent of the famous skyscrapers of Abu Dhabi, in fact, it owes its shape to two images: the majestic waterfalls and rocks of Montserrat, as well as the outlines of the bell towers of the cathedral. The author of the project was fascinated by the architect Antonio Gaudi and really wanted his building to be different from the many standard "living boxes". The height of Torre Agbar was 142 meters, in addition, four of the 38 floors are underground. However, she does not peek out everywhere on the horizon. For example, we saw it for the first time on As a result, we got a kind of "geyser that hit from the ground." The facade of this building reminds me of a game of Tetris. 🙂
In addition to the strange shape of the building, the interior of the skyscraper's interior space is also very unusual. All windows inside the building are not arranged strictly according to the plan, but are made randomly. It turns out that this was not done by a human hand, but by a special computer program that, based on the free selection of windows, created a similar solution. On all sides of the building there are special panels. To keep the residents and visitors of the skyscraper from getting too hot, sensors control the opening of thousands of glass shutters, as well as their automatic closing. This ensures maximum reflection of solar energy, in addition, the presence of space between the blinds and the concrete facade allows the usual circulation of fresh air, without the need for air conditioners and other means of ventilation.
Futuristic facade of Agbar tower
As a result, in the skyscraper there are both office and technical premises, as well as the Agbar Tower has a large parking lot and concert hall. It is interesting that the inhabitants of Spanish Barcelona call the skyscraper Agbar simply - a cucumber and even a "candle". Here is such a huge cucumber! 🙂
Evening illumination of Agbar Tower
Tourists should definitely look at the Agbar tower in the evening and at night. Outside, on the surface of the skyscraper are about 5,000 different lighting elements. They are capable of displaying up to 16 million colors. Every minute, it seems that the skyscraper shimmers with new and new colors. Also, color images and various images appear on the walls.
Light show at the Agbar Tower in the evening
Special light shows on schedule: Monday, Saturday and Sunday from 20.00 to 23.00 in winter, from 21.00 to 00.00 in summer. On every holiday or solemn event, its lighting changes.
How to get to Agbar tower
The 34-storey building itself is located a little north of Ciutadella Park, on the Glorias Catalanes square in the quarter [email protected] The tower is easily accessible by metro. The station you need is Glòries. By the way, about the metro... I recommend you to read my article about transport in Barcelona if you don't already know how you can save up to 100-150% of the cost of the trip using T-10 travel cards.
You can also walk to Torre Agbar from the city center. At the same time, you can look at the article about which I published a few days ago. The duration of the walk will be no more than 1 hour one way.
The Agbar Tower (Torre Agbar) is a skyscraper that is a modern masterpiece of architecture and design. The Agbar Tower was built by Dragados from 1999 to 2005 according to a joint project of French architect Jean Nouvel and b720 Arquitectos. This building is located in Barcelona, near the Plaza de les Glores Catalanes at 211 Diogonal Avenue. This name was given to the Tower in honor of the Agbar Group holding company. The grand opening took place on September 16, 2005 by the Spanish monarch Juan Carlos I.
Agbar Tower - impressive height and volume
The Agbar Tower is a skyscraper consisting of 39 floors, of which four floors are underground. The height of the structure is almost 145 meters, it is the third largest architectural structure in Barcelona. Superiority, in height, belongs to the skyscraper, the Arts Hotel and the Mapfe Tower. The useful area of the Agbar Tower is 50,500 sq.m, of which 30,000 sq.m is allocated for offices, 3,210 sq.m. area belongs to technical floors with equipment and 8 351 sq.m. used for office space, including a large concert hall.
Agbar tower and its non-standard design
The Agbar Tower, in its form, is very reminiscent of the London skyscraper 30 St. Mary Ax, designed by architect Norman Forester. In shape, the structure resembles a "Cucumber", in connection with this locals, sometimes, they refer to the building with irony, inventing all sorts of nicknames for it.
The outside structure is covered with translucent as well as transparent panels, thanks to which, under the influence of sunlight, Agbar surprises passers-by with an overflow of many shades and colors. In the evening and at night, the facade of the building is illuminated by 4,500 LED devices. The building never ceases to amaze the audience with its light illumination even at night, at which time the facade is illuminated by about 4,500 LED devices, creating the effect of approximately 16 million colors. Such a lighting system cannot but fascinate passers-by.
The Agbar tower is a building of the future, on which temperature sensors are installed that regulate the closing and opening of the blinds, this contributes to good ventilation of the building and energy saving.
Agbar Tower, designed in the style of abstract-symbolic expressionism. If you look at the Tower from a distance, all the numerous details of the structure merge together, as a result of this effect, including light, it seems that the entire structure is made of mercury.
Agbar, since 2005, headquarters of the Águas de Barcelona water company. Officially, since 2014, the Agbar Tower has been ranked 13th among the most tall buildings Spain.
The Agbar Tower is a special attraction in Barcelona. Its peculiarity is primarily manifested in the fact that the tower was built quite recently - in 2005. This modern building does not fit into the general color of the city, but the Agbar tower is the pride of the locals.
The building itself is actually a skyscraper, though so atypical that it is of interest not only to tourists, but also to the population: both guests of Barcelona and high-ranking officials of Spain (including the king) attended the opening of the building in 2005.
Where is it located and how to get there
The Agbar Tower is located at Avinguda Diagonal 209-211.
You can get to the tower:
- by metro (red line, Plaça Glòries station)
- by buses (routes 7, 56, 60, 92, 192)
- on trams T4 and T5 (stops Ca L'Aranyo and La Farinera) respectively
General characteristics
The height of this grand structure is 145 meters. In fact, the building has 38 floors, but four of them are hidden underground.
Tourists who want to not only take a picture of the general view of the tower, but also get inside, can do this for free, while entering the building at any time.
In addition to the main area of 30,000 square meters, which is occupied by offices, there are also technical and service rooms (total area - 11,500 square meters), as well as a large concert hall.
but not in Agbar Tower viewing platforms , no tours are provided, and the main area of the building is occupied by offices, so there is nothing special to do here. The Tower is of much greater interest precisely from the outside, and mainly due to its special architecture.
The building was designed by the French architect Jean Nouvel, and the history of the creation of this building is very interesting.
There is a version according to which Nouvel copied the project according to which an identical skyscraper in London was built. The buildings are really almost the same, but the London skyscraper is much smaller than the skyscraper in Barcelona.
The architect himself claims that he was inspired to create such a project by the outlines of the legendary Sagrada Familia bell towers, conical rocks mountain range Montserrat and mountain geysers.
Jean Nouvelier said at the opening of the Agbar Tower that the building for him is a kind of monument to natural geysers.
As for the residents of Barcelona, many of them see the building as just a big cucumber. By the way, Londoners call their skyscraper a cucumber.
In addition to its shape and amazing appearance, The Agbar Tower has another architectural feature that can be partially seen from the outside.
The tower does not have symmetrical windows, and at first glance they are all arranged randomly. 
This decision is explained by the fact that everything inside is asymmetrical: every room, every office and every technical room has a free layout. Thus, no two floor plans are the same in a building.
Despite the patriotism of the Spaniards and the love of the inhabitants of Barcelona for their city, the Agbar Tower received several very unflattering nicknames. The most harmless of them, apart from the "cucumber" - "suppository" (the scientific name of medical suppositories).
The builders of the skyscraper approached the issue of lighting the skyscraper in an interesting way.
The whole building is sheathed on the outside with special metal plates, LEDs are mounted in the plates.
However, such illumination works in certain time: from 19:00 to 23:00 in winter and 21:00 to 24:00 in summer season (from March 28 to October 31). During these hours, the building shimmers with 16 million different colors and shades, and the Agbar Tower is an impressive sight.
