 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
| ||||
 get 10% discount when you book 5 days or more in advance |
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
powered by TripAdvisor
|
||
| The New Architecture Tour & Palau de la Música |
|
The end of 20th and beginning of 21st centuries have been the era of design, a new way of understanding things around us, of giving functional objects originality and charm. Barcelona has been the cutting edge in industrial and architectural design and this is reflected in the city itself, making it a reference of design in Spain and indeed in Europe. Our expert will show you the buildings you really should not miss; some changed the concept of architecture.
Plus a guided visit in the Palau de la Musica, a building 100 years older, but way ahead of its time, glory of the Catalan modernisme and World Heritage.
Plus a guided visit in the Palau de la Musica, a building 100 years older, but way ahead of its time, glory of the Catalan modernisme and World Heritage.
|
STARPOINTS
|
||||||||
| Olympic Port: Built in just two years using prefabricated materials, the project won the FAD prize in 1992. The port was designed as a large square surrounded by seafood restaurants and bars. It has 800 moorings. The breakwater was built 3 metres under water and is 70% effective in reducing the force of the waves but does not interrupt the view over the sea, making it far more attractive. At the Olympic Port you will find the sculpture Fish, made in copper by the Californian sculptor Frank O. Gehry, the Meteorological Centre by the Portuguese architect Álvaro Siza, the Sailing School, the Hotel Arts (tallest building in Barcelona) by Bruce J Graham, architect of the Sears Tower in Chicago, the Mapfre Tower, etc... | ||||||||
| ||||||||
| Forum 2004: The Universal Forum of Cultures: The Forum was the initiative of the Barcelona City Council which hoped to start a event that would be repeated every four years in a different city, and represent to the cultural world what the Olympic Games represents to the sporting world. In 2004, cultures all over the world were invited to the city to talk about peace, tolerance, diversity and sustainable development. The event lasted 140 days. Its urbanistic legacy is the following: - The Forum building. Original building by the Swiss architects, Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron. It is a large, navy blue triangle, the roof of which is covered with a layer of water to shield against the sun, reflecting its rays and minimizing heat absorption. - Forum Park Bathing Area. A new concept of sandless beaches where the depth of the water is controlled and shallow areas maintained. There is also a salt water swimming pool. - The Forum Square and the Water Treatment Works. Under the square is one of the biggest wastewater treatment works in Europe. - Photovoltaic panel. The largest urban solar panel in the continent, it generates enough electricity for 1000 houses and saves annually 440 tons of carbon dioxide emissions. - Auditorium Park. Placed between the esplanade and the sea, the auditorium park covers over 4 hectares and is used for concerts, festivals, and other open air events. - The incinerator. Filters were put in the chimneys to avoid odours. The smoke turns a turbine which produces electricity, demonstrating the viability of sustainable development. - CCIB Barcelona International Convention Centre. Work of the Spanish architect, José Luis Mateo, the building makes full use of natural light. Completely versatile, facing the sea, the building has 45 diaphanous halls in 3 floors and a basement. | ||||||||
| ||||||||
| 22@ & Agbar Tower: The 22@Barcelona project transformed 200 hectares of old industrial land in Poble Nou into an innovative productive district which offers modern spaces for the strategic concentration of several Knowledge activities. A new compact city model has thus been created, where groundbreaking companies cohabit with universities, research and training centres, as well as homes, services and green areas. Torre Agbar: It was commissioned by and named after the company that supplies the city with water, Aigües de Barcelona, which made it their headquarters. Work of the French architect Jean Nouvel, inaugurated in 2005, the building represents a geyser bubbling out of the ground. Red at the bottom, blue in the middle with white foam at the top, it has the rounded shape of the peaks of Montserrat and it is a Gaudinian parabolic arch. Following the double skin principal, the outside layer has 4,000 windows of varying textures and angles. At night the lighting system allows varying chromatic combinations. El Teatre Nacional de Catalunya & L’Auditori: The TNC, work of Ricard Bofill in the Plaça de les Arts de Barcelona, is a complex made up of two separate structures. The main building, in the style of an ancient Greek temple, houses the main theatre and the little theatre as well as the main hall, the artists’ area, offices and all the auxiliary services. The second building houses the Tallers Sala. Beside the theatre is the Auditorium, work of the Navarrian architect Rafael Moneo. As well as offering concerts, it is used for teaching and the diffusion of music. It is in the centre of the new pole of urban development of Plaça de les Glòries, which brings together the three widest and longest avenues in the city, Diagonal, Gran Via and Meridiana. The same musical complex houses the OBC (Barcelona Symphony Orchestra), the Escola Superior de Música de Catalunya and the Museu de la Música. From here there is a magnificent view of the Agbar Tower. | ||||||||
| Palau de la Música: Our guided tour will explain the symbolism and wonderful decoration of this emblematic building owned by the Orfeo Català, the Catalan Choral Society. Started in 1905, it was completed in just three years, many of the features being worked on simultaneously off site. Its steel structure enables the use of an enormous amount of glass which gives colour and light to this beautiful concert hall. The Modernista style, with its emphasis on nature, depicts the hall as a garden with a sun skylight in the ceiling and flowers and plants throughout the decoration. Renovated in 1989 and 2004, the Palau combines the charm of its Modernista heritage with ultra modern services and facilities including an expanding stage which can cover the first three rows of seats when needed. A symbol of Catalan culture and a sanctuary of music, the Palau has hosted the most famous orchestras, conductors, composers, musicians and singers of the century. | ||||||||
| ||||||||
