5 striking examples of post-war architecture in Barcelona

Barcelona doesn’t just have lots of history to offer, there is plenty of contemporary beauty to be admired as well. For starters: Edifici Gas Natural, also known as the Mare Nostrum Tower. The headquarters of energy company Gas Natural is a skyscraper with horizontal parts jutting out of its vertical spine. The building (completed in 2005) stands within walking distance of Barceloneta beach.

This building from 1954 was named after its architect but it’s also known as Casa de La Marina. It’s possible to overlook it: it stands out in the Passeig de Joan Borbó which is chock-full of tourist restaurants. This apartment building rapidly received acclaim thanks to its elegant look, primarily the result of the blinds all along the façade. Have a peek into the entrance hall; it has paintings by Catalan artist Jaume Guinovart.

The façade of Media TIC is subdivided in dozens of triangles, faintly resembling an insect’s facet eye. It’s located in a brand new neighbourhood within Poblenou called 22@Barcelona, “an innovative district offering modern spaces for the strategic concentration of intensive knowledge-based activities”. This is the newest bit of Barcelona.

Another 22@Barcelona beauty. This building used to be part of a textile factory. It was renovated and encapsulated in a rust-coloured harness. Brand-new but with a tinge of nostalgia.

The architects of the Biomedical Research Park, right next to Hospital del Mar, didn’t have a lot of square metres to work with, so architects Manel Brullet and Albert de Pineda created an elliptical and conical space. The exterior façade doesn’t reach the ground, which makes it seem to float. Cutting-edge architecture, right next to the beach.