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Completed in July 2005, the unique structure known as Torre Agbar is the newest sensation in the Barcelona skyline. It’s interesting shape and design was originally met with much dissension. The new headquarters for Aguas de Barcelona (Agbar), the municipal water company, Torre Agbar rises into the sky at 34 stories tall and 142 meters (466 feet) in height. Designed by Frenchman Jean Nouvel, the architect believes that the tower is "a distant echo of old Catalan obsessions, carried on the winds that blow in from Montserrat". Often referred to as a geyser, Torre Agbar was inspired by the architectural legacy of Antoni Gaudí.

The Torre Agbar is a 38-storey tower located between Avinguda Diagonal and Carrer Badajoz, near Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes, which marks the gateway to the new technological district of Barcelona, Spain. It was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel in association with the Spanish firm B720 Arquitectos and built by Grupo ACS. The Torre Agbar is located in the Poblenou neighborhood of Barcelona and is named after its owners, the Agbar Group, a holding company whose interests include the Barcelona water company Aigües de Barcelona.

The tower measures a total of 50,693 square metres, of which 30,000 are offices, 3,210 technical facilities, 8,132 services, including an auditorium, and 9,132 square metres for parking.

It opened in June 2005 and was officially opened by the King of Spain on 16 September 2005 and at a cost of 130 million euro.

The building is owned by the multinational group Agbar which has its corporate headquarters in the building and that takes up most of the floors, renting the remainder. The Agbar Tower was acquired in March 2010 for 165 million euro, after reaching an agreement with its former owner, the investment group Azurelau. Azurelau previously had bought the property in mid-2007. The purchase price was not disclosed.

According to Jean Nouvel, the shape of the Torre Agbar was inspired by Montserrat, a mountain near Barcelona, and by the shape of a geyser rising into the air. Jean Nouvel, in an interview, described it as having a phallic character. As a result of its unusual shape, the building is known by several nicknames, such as "el supositori" (the suppository), "l'obús" (the shell) and some more scatological ones. It is also somewhat similar in shape to Sir Norman Foster's 30 St. Mary Axe in London, often called "the Gherkin". It has 30,000 m² (323,000 ft²) of above-ground office space, 3,210 m² (34,500 ft²) of technical service floors with installations and 8,351 m² (90,000 ft²) of services, including an auditorium. The Agbar Tower measures 144.4 m (473.75 ft) in height and consists of 38 stories, including four underground levels.

Its design combines a number of different architectural concepts, resulting in a striking structure built with reinforced concrete, covered with a facade of glass, and over 4,500 window openings cut out of the structural concrete. The building stands out in Barcelona; it is the third tallest building in Barcelona, only after the Arts Hotel and the Mapfre Tower, both 154 m (505.25 ft).

A defining feature of the building is its nocturnal illumination. It has 4,500 LED luminous devices that allow generation of luminous images in the façade. In addition, it has temperature sensors in the outside of the tower that regulate the opening and closing of the window blinds of the façade of the building, reducing the consumption of energy for air conditioning. It houses the head office of the Aigües de Barcelona Group, the water supply company of Barcelona.

The construction, as explained by Nouvel himself was strongly influenced by one of the most representative symbols of Catalan culture. On one side was inspired by the work of Spanish architect Antoni Gaudí reference to the bell towers of the Sagrada Familia and based in turn on the idea of the Hotel Attraction, a course project by teacher Reus in 1908 for some employers hoteliers New York which was redesigned in 1956 by his disciple Joan Matamala which in 1978 were included in the book Delirious New York of Rem Koolhaas, a reference for many architects. In addition, as a tribute to the Sagrada Família, the north side of the tower was designed with the intention of obtaining an optimal view of the temple. In turn, Nouvel was inspired by the distinctive pinnacles of Montserrat mountain range - of great significance for Catalonia, the location of the shrine that houses their patron saint, Our Lady of Montserrat.

In the design of the Agbar Tower, Nouvel said he rejected the prevailing opinion in North America of what a skyscraper should look like, hence the phallic shape. It is the architect's intention give the impression of land that is emerging in a special way out of the ground. The use of the tower by a water utility company, led him to the design from a metaphor of a geyser sprouting from the deep sea.

Technically, the building is made up of two non-concentric oval cylinders topped by a glass and steel dome. There are no internal columns in the structure, but rather, the building's services and emergency stairwells are located in the central concrete core.

While the inside is certainly structurally interesting, it's the exterior that fascinates passers-by as they make their way down the highways of Barcelona. The first skin that covers the concrete structure is a layer of polished aluminum in blues, greens, and grays. The second skin, which adds an iridescent sparkle to the building, is made up of 59,619 sheets of clear glass.

There are 4,400 windows accompanied by louvers that tilt in various directions to block out any direct sunlight. At night, the tower becomes yet more magnificent, with 4,500 yellow, blue, pink, and red lights illuminating the exterior.

Twenty-eight of the buildings thirty-four floors are currently used for offices and an additional three house the technical components of the building. A cafeteria occupies another entire floor, another boasts conference rooms, and one floor in the tower offers an observation area. Four subterranean floors contain an auditorium and parking facilities.

Once it was finished, the Agbar Tower quickly became an architectural icon of the city of Barcelona and one of its most famous buildings. However, it was not initially immune to criticism from citizens and experts who said that its characteristics did not fit into the architecture of Barcelona. Over time it has become one of the symbols that universally identify the Catalan capital and is one of its tourist attractions.

In mid-2008, a number of Catalan public institutions made a list that included the major cultural icons in the Autonomous Community that were meant to serve as models for tourist souvenirs which identity Catalonia, and the tower was included in it.

The popularity of the tower to tourists is such that a visit to the tower has become a part of tourist bus routes (and even the helicopter tour) and many tourists take an opportunity to visit the inside. The impact of the image of the tower is such that many groups have chosen its vicinity as a place to carry out their demands, and in some cases even to enter it by force. You can get there via direct flight to Barcelona or to Girona, Reus or Lleida–Alguaire.