Barcelona hotel Porta Fira is the best skyscraper of the world

Spanish hotel is the best skyscraper of the world

Hotels in Spain was named the best skyscraper in the world. The Spanish company Fomento de Construcciones y Contratas received the Grand Prix of Emporis Skyscraper Award for its hotel Porta Fira - red burning skyscraper in Barcelona.

This year in the Emporis Skyscraper Award competition participated about 300 skyscrapers from all around the world, including the world's tallest building "Burj Khalifa" in Dubai.

Emporis Award is one of the most famous awards in the architectural world. Each year the jury, which consists of representatives from 67 countries, defines the best skyscraper in the world. Among the previous winners were projects of the best architects of our time, including Calatrava (Turning Torso Tower in Malmo, Sweden) and Foster (Mary Ex skyscraper in London).

According to the jury, Porta Fira Hotel in Barcelona was victorious thanks to its unique aesthetic and harmonious integration into the urban environment. The famous Burj Dubai was on second place, while the third is 147-meter skyscraper CMA CGM in Marseilles.

It is worth noting that the Spanish hotel winner can rightly be called an international offspring. This project was developed by the Japanese company Toyo Ito & Associates and Spanish design bureau b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos. Among other skyscrapers the hotel stands out for its texture more than the altitude. Hotel Porta Fira has only 26 floors. Its height is 113 meters. The hotel belongs to the Spanish chain of luxury hotels Hoteles Santos. Hoteles Santos manages several famous Spanish hotels in Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, ski resort Baqueira and Granada.

As for the form of the hotel, it was the major challenge for the architects. "Twisted" tower structure is provided by a special aluminum frame along the entire building from foundation to the roof, according to worldarchitecturenews.com

It is worth noting that Barcelona is one of those cities, which skyscrapers are more likely to get to the winner list of the Emporis Skyscraper Award. This year the ninth place was occupied by another skyscraper from the capital of Catalonia - a 25-storey building of the telecommunications company Telefónica's. In 2004 the second skyscraper of the world was named Agbar Tower in Barcelona.

Ilya Kalachev

Photo: photo: FCC

Date: 23/08/2011