Constructing one of the city’s tallest public facilities is not only correct and timely, but also symbolically validates an already-accepted trend.

The justification for the height of the tower lies in the need to be seen from afar and considered as a facility not just for the immediate neighbourhood, but for the city and country as a whole. Due to its height, the tower allows for a new square – totally necessary – to be created at the junction of the Paseo de Picasso and Paseo Colón and the park entrance.The decision to build a high-rise facility causes certain drawbacks with regard to mobility, hence the introduction of panoramic escalators which will offer breathtaking views over the Born neighbourhood and towards the sea, and will prove to be a great public attraction.

The load-bearing structure of the building constitutes its formal image. The tower is built using an interior column-free load-bearing perimeter façade to provide the building with maximum multi-usage.This outer layer is formed by a three-dimensional strip of reinforced concrete which evokes a bookshelf as a figurative allusion to the programme.

One of the project goals is to achieve a comfortable and identifiable interior space. The visible framework of the reinforced concrete beams which support the shuttering slabs helps form a dense and heavyweight interior atmosphere, giving dignity to the space. The prevalence of red evokes a theatrical space. The use of light-coloured wood and large-scale photographs of Catalan writers screen-printed on the glass façade and inside the building all help to define the overall image and create an extremely warm ambience.