Turó de Vilana, Tibidabo,
Tibidabo

The Olympian demand for telecommunications led to the construction of this remarkable structure high on the mountain above the city. Designed by Sir Norman Foster, and completed in June 1992, it has a public viewing platform offering unrivalled views.

A speeding glass elevator transports you from the sloping concrete bunker of the tower's base, to a light and airy glass viewing platform 560 m above sea level.

If we were building a departure gate for some vast space-age craft it might well look like this. Here you hover, like a plane suspended mid-air, the view across the city breathtaking to the point of dizziness. But, to the surprise of the new visitor, the views inland are more beautiful than you could have ever imagined. The lush greenery of the Parc de Collserola rolls out below you, Catalonia's sacred mountains guarding the distance. Stunning.

contributor: Nigel Hayler