Torres Porta Fira

Within the “European Plaza”, a pair of twin towers now stands as part of the urban regeneration project for L’Hospitalet, the neighboring city to Barcelona. The site is approximately 8km away from Barcelona El Prat International Airport towards the Barcelona City direction. With this condition of being in between an airport and the urban area, the project constitutes as part of the extension to the “Barcelona Gran Via Fair” Venue, intending to form a gateway that leads people into the fair. Beneath the energetic red twin towers, the entrance hall we designed spreads out to an area of 240,000 sqm and is connected to the continuous circulation corridor, the Central Axis. The project consists of three parts; a hotel tower and an office tower, both about 110m tall and a lower compartment which has a roof garden that connects the two towers. The hotel tower has a 3D curved surface clad with red aluminum pipe louvers. The volume gradually expands and twists as it reaches the top where the large hotel suites are located. The office tower on the other hand, has a fluid red core in a transparent rectilinear glass box. As the core is set to one side of the tower, the section of this core can be seen externally. Whilst these two towers have clear contrast in form, they acquire a harmonic and complementary relationship. The hotel tower has the capacity of 345 rooms, to provide for expected visitors of trade fairs as well as for business. The entrance hall, restaurant, and the banquet hall which is also used for conferences or exhibitions are located on the ground floor. On the mezzanine level, there are conference rooms which can be divided into four spaces by sliding partitions and three small meeting rooms. The roof of the lower building volume has a garden terrace that acts as a multifunctional space with a kitchen where cocktail parties can be held. Guests can then migrate to the banquet hall on the ground floor for dinner after the cocktail party, whilst fully appreciating the building as the spaces interlock with each other. The office tower has 22 office floors, two rentable shops and an entrance hall on the ground floor. The journey from entrance hall to the top level is led by the vertical flows within the red organic form that resembles body organs. The opening sections of elevator halls differ on each floor and from there we can see Mont Juic and the Mediterranean Sea alongside of Barcelona. From an office floor which is able to be divided into four parts for rent, people enjoy the diverse panoramic view of distant streets and mountains of Barcelona.

Graduated from the University of Tokyo, Department of Architecture in 1965. In 1971, he established his own office, Urban Robot (URBOT), which was renamed to Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects in 1979. Main works; Silver Hut, Sendai Mediatheque, TOD’S Omotesando Building, Tama Art University Library (Hachioji campus), The Main Stadium for the World Games 2009 in Kaohsiung (Taiwan R.O.C.), ZA-KOENJI Public Theatre, etc. Under development; Toyo Ito Architecture Museum in Imabari (tentative title), Extension for “The Fair of Barcelona Gran Via Venue” (Spain), Taichung Metropolitan Opera House (Taiwan R.O.C.), etc. Awards and Prizes; Architectural Institute of Japan Prize, Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement from the 8th International Architecture Exhibition “NEXT” at the Venice Biennale, Royal Gold Medal from The Royal Institute of British Architects, 6th Austrian Frederick Kiesler Prize for Architecture and the Arts, The Asahi Prize, etc.