A 'Cloud City' Above Barcelona
John Hill
23. May 2022
Photo: Studio Tomás Saraceno © Tomás Saraceno
Artist Tomás Saraceno's permanent installation, Cloud Cities Barcelona, has opened to the public at the top of Torre Glòries, the iconic skyscraper, previously known as Torre Agbar, designed by Ateliers Jean Nouvel with b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos.
Cloud Cities Barcelona is one of three elements that comprise Mirador torre Glòries, an experience billed as "the new cultural and entertainment landmark of Barcelona." It opened to the public on May 20. Before ascending to the inhabitable artwork, visitors descend to the first basement level of the 30-story tower, where "Hyperview Barcelona" reveals the city "to be a living organism" through five multimedia art installations. The second element is the observation deck on the top floor of the tower, which provides 360º views of Barcelona from a height of 125 meters (410 feet). Immediately overhead is the installation by Argentine artist Tomás Saraceno, which entices visitors to go even higher. A brief tour through Cloud Cities Barcelona is below.
Billed as "Saraceno’s first permanent interactive sculpture in Southern Europe," Cloud Cities Barcelona consists of 113 "cloud spaces" made up of thousands of clear and opaque polygonal panels attached to 6 km (3-3/4 miles) of tensile cables. (Photo: Studio Tomás Saraceno © Tomás Saraceno)
Visitors move through the installation at heights of between 4 and 10 meters (13 and 33 feet) above the observation deck. (Photo: Studio Tomás Saraceno © Tomás Saraceno)
The "cloud spaces" are configured to enable views inwards or outwards, and as spaces for gathering and dialogue. (Photo: Studio Tomás Saraceno © Tomás Saraceno)
Much like the artist's Particular Matter(s) exhibition and Free the Air installation at The Shed earlier this year, Cloud Cities Barcelona promotes an alternative view of the future, strengthened here by the availability of a selection of books on speculative architectures, the environmental crisis and other relevant topics. (Photo: Studio Tomás Saraceno © Tomás Saraceno)
