Torre de Collserola facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Torre de Collserola |
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| General information | |
| Type | Television tower, observation tower |
| Location | Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain |
| Coordinates | 41°25′02″N 2°06′51″E / 41.41722°N 2.11417°E |
| Completed | 1991 |
| Height | 288.4 m (946.19 ft) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Norman Foster |
| Civil engineer | Julio Martínez Calzón and Manuel Julià Vilardell |
| Main contractor | Cubiertas y MZOV, S.A. |
The Torre de Collserola is a super cool tower in Barcelona, Spain. It sits on the Tibidabo hill, which is part of the Serra de Collserola mountain range. This amazing tower was designed by a famous architect named Norman Foster and two engineers, Julio Martínez Calzón and Manuel Julià Vilardell.
It was built in 1991, just in time for the 1992 Summer Olympics held in Barcelona. The tower looks a bit like a spaceship with its unique design. It has a special section called a "pod" with thirteen floors, and it's held up by strong cables called guy wires.
The Torre de Collserola is mainly used to send out TV and radio signals. It also offers the highest view over the city of Barcelona! The very top of the antenna reaches 288.4 meters (946 feet) high. The top of the pod, where the floors are, is 152 meters (499 feet) high. The tenth floor of the pod is open to visitors, so you can go up and see the incredible views yourself!
Tower Features
The Torre de Collserola is not just a pretty sight; it's also very strong and cleverly built.
Observation Deck
The tower has a special area for events and visitors. This includes a reception room and an observation deck. From here, you can look out over Barcelona from 560 meters (about 1,837 feet) above sea level. It's a fantastic spot to see the city spread out below!
How It Was Built
The main part of the tower is a hollow concrete shaft. It's only 4.5 meters (about 15 feet) wide. This shaft gets even narrower at the top to hold a radio mast.
The thirteen floors of the pod are surrounded by open stainless steel grilles. They hang from the central shaft using three strong steel supports. The entire tower weighs about 3,000 tons, which is like the weight of 3,000 small cars!
Keeping the Tower Upright
Many strong cables help keep the tower standing tall and steady. These cables are called "guy wires."
- The lower cables are made of very strong steel. There are three sets of 180 cables each, all working together.
- The upper cables are made from a special material called aramid fiber. These three upper cables are incredibly strong and can hold a combined weight of 4,200 tons!
See also
In Spanish: Torre de Collserola para niños
