Montjuïc Communications Tower

Transcription

Welcome to the Olympic area of Barcelona and the beautiful Montjuïc Telecommunication Tower. The tower is also known as "Torre Telefónica" or "Torre Calatrava". The latter name comes from the fact that it was designed by the famous Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava. As you probably could have guessed, the tower was built for the Barcelonan Olympic Games in 1992. The construction started in 1989 and when the tower stood completed three years later, Calatrava had created not only a functional TV-tower but also a beautiful centerpiece for the whole Olympic site. The design of the 136 meters high tower is also inspired by the Olympics, as it symbolizes an athlete holding carrying the Olympic flame. The base of the tower is covered with mosaic made of broken tile shards -- a celebration to the Barcelonan architect Antonio Gaudi, who often used the same technique. While the main functions was to transmit the coverage of the games to the world, a little fun fact is that the tower can also be used as a giant sundial which uses the Europa square to determine the time. Today the tower, with its dominating view over Montjuïc, is a much appreciated structure for its beautiful smooth shapes.