Torre Glòries, (previously known as Torre Agbar, as it was the headquarters of the company) is a skyscraper in Barcelona, belonging to Merlin Properties, and located in Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, in the district of Sant Martin
Designed by French architect Jean Nouvel and built between 1999 and 2005.
According to Jean Nouvel, Torre Agbar aims to recall the shape of a geyser rising into the air. It was inspired by Montserrat, a mountain near Barcelona. In an interview, he described the tower as having a phallic character.[citation needed] As a result of its unusual shape, the building is known by various nicknames, such as the suppository ("the suppository"), the shell ("the shell") and some more eschatological. It also has a similar shape to 30 St Mary Ax in London often called "the cucumber".
The Agbar Tower is 144.4 m (473 ft 9 in) tall and consists of 38 floors, including four underground levels.
Its design combines a number of different architectural concepts, resulting in a striking structure built of reinforced concrete, covered with a glass facade, and more than 4,500 window openings cut into the structural concrete. The building stands out in Barcelona; it is the third tallest building in the city, after the Hotel Arts and the Torre Mapfre, which are both 154 m (505 ft) tall.