Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes
Glòries
Barcelona'smajor avenues all meet at the
PlaçadelesGlòriesCatalanes
,aglorified round-
about dedicated to the “Catalan glories”, from architecture to literature. It's now at the centre
of the city's latest bout of regeneration, which plans to tunnel the traffic underground, thus
opening up a grand pedestrianized park containing a design centre to house the city's applied
art collections.
Glòries is already positioned as a gateway to the Diagonal Mar district, with
trams
running
downAvingudaDiagonaltothedistrict.Meanwhile,thesignaturebuildingontheroundabout
isFrencharchitect
JeanNouvel's
cigar-shaped
TorreAgbar
(142m),theheadquartersofthe
local water company (Aigües de Barcelona), a highly distinctive aluminium-and-glass tower
with no fewer than four thousand windows, its shape inspired by the rocky protuberances of
Montserrat.AhugeshoppingmallliesacrosstheDiagonalfromhere,whilefurtheracrossthe
Gran Via the park and play areas of
ParcdelClot
showwhat can be done in an urban setting
within the remains of a razed factory site. Jean Nouvel also designed the
Parc del Centre
del Poble Nou
further down the Diagonal (10min walk from Glòries or tram stop Pere IV),
an eye-catching contemporary park set on another former industrial site - a surviving brick
chimney stands in the centre, surrounded by willow trees.
HIDDEN GEMS: SAGRADA FAMÍLIA AND GLÒRIES
Land-art at Parc de L'Estació del Nord
See
map
