Known for its spectacular nighttime illumination, driven by thousands of LED night panels, the glass-shrouded Torre Agbar is a 38-story tower opened to the public in 2005. The tower is in Barcelona's emerging Poblenou neighborhood. It's the third-tallest building in the city and is characterized by its tubular, round-tipped shape. Notably, the building is fitted with a series of sensors that open and close the blinds of the building as required by ambient temperature.
Torre Agbar
Avinguda Diagonal
08018
Barcelona, Spain
The Gaudi-designed Sagrada Familia church is perhaps the most recognizable tower on the Barcelona skyline, rising above the city as it stretches its signature spires to the sky. Work began in 1882, but the church still is not technically completed. Incredibly, the intricate-looking structure was entirely crafted of masonry. The structure survived the Spanish Civil War (many churches did not), partly because it's seen as such a symbol of Barcelona's heritage. The structure is highly sculptural, with its three facades, eight spires and colorful mosaics on the pinnacles typifying the dizzying complexity of the construction.
Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia
Carretera Mallorca 401
08013
Barcelona, Spain
The Torre de Collserola's gravity-defying spire points straight up out of Collserola hill, seeming to poke the sky with its soaring radio tower. The structure was designed by British architect Norman Foster in honor of the city's hosting of the 1992 Olympics, and opened its doors to the public in 1998. The observation deck offers a matchless, admission-fee-free view of the city. Sometimes you can even see the far-off island of Mallorca. The structure is almost a thousand feet tall, with its bulk hanging like a hornet's nest from the middle of the central concrete shaft. Cables keep the 3,000-ton tower from teetering over onto the Zona Franca neighborhood below. (The three upper cables have a combined strength of 4,200 tons.)
Torre de Collserola
Carretera de Vallvidrera al Tibidabo
08017
Barcelona, Spain
