Barcelona's Torre Glòries to host international towers convention 

The World Federation of Great Towers (WFGT) has announced that Barcelona's Torre Glòries will host its 2025 annual convention. The event is scheduled from September 1 to 5. The official venue will be Mirador Torre Glòries, Barcelona's famous observatory tower located in the Poblenou neighborhood.  

Barcelona is the only city in Spain with towers that are members of the WFGT. The first one being Torre de Collserola, inaugurated for the 1992 Olympic Games and part of the federation since 2004. The Mirador Torre Glòries only joined the WFGT a year ago, though it will host the sector's 36th edition of the event.   

Director of the Mirador, Aleix Pratdepàdua stated that "the event comes at a key moment for Barcelona as Plaça de les Glòries has completed its transformation and is establishing itself as a new metropolitan center." 

He added that "the Mirador represents a contemporary vision, not only of this new, innovative, and entrepreneurial Barcelona, but also of new models of cultural and responsible tourism." 

Among the attendees, there will be representatives of over 50 towers from five continents, including landmark buildings such as New York City's Empire State Building, Paris' Eiffel Tower, London's The Shard, Dubai's Burj Khalifa, and the Tokyo Tower in Japan, among many others.  

The international forum aims to exchange strategies on sustainability, visitor experience, and management challenges in urban contexts. 

Mirador Torre Glòries 

The 144-meter Torre Glòries is now one of the well-known emblems of Barcelona's skyline. The building, designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, officially opened in 2005. According to Nouvel, its shape is inspired by a geyser, though often referred to as a variety of other things (self-explanatory). 

The glass façade contains over 4,000 windows and is illuminated during nighttime. It was opened as a public observation point in 2022 and has reinvented the traditional concept of an urban observatory, giving a 360º view of Barcelona.  

The tower has also received support from the international community: "The case of Mirador Torre Glòries is inspiring: in just one year, it went from being a new member to hosting our annual convention," Jean-Yves Ghazi, executive director of the federation and president of the Empire State Building Observatory, said in a statement. 

Jean-Yves added that for Barcelona to host the event, "shows how Great Towers must offer more than just height, they must deliver a clear narrative, a transformative experience, and a strong connection with the city they represent."