Twenty years after its construction, the Agbar Tower remains one of the most recognizable landmarks in Barcelona’s skyline. This article analyzes the dome that serves as its roof. The design of this element required a year of development, during which more than ten iterations were analyzed, resulting in the final design. There was no similar precedent published, as it is a 30 m high dome with significant wind exposure. This study offers an analytical review of the design process and the dome’s enclosure, providing a reference for similar architectural construction projects. This research focuses on describing the elementary loading hypotheses and obtaining numerical models for structural calculations, comparing the results of the five most representative models of the process. Various factors are considered, such as shape, enclosure, structural frequency, deformations obtained, fire protection, and cost. The conclusion focuses on explaining how a form that remains unchanged throughout the process slightly varies the structural solution while respecting the project, to adjust to all the final regulations, construction requirements, cost requirements, and project requirements.

Tras más dos décadas transcurridas desde las primeras rehabilitaciones realizadas en edificios reales con miras a mejorar su eficiencia energética, resulta ya imprescindible recopilar y analizar los datos que estas experiencias aportan para poder aprender de ellas y abordar con mayor conocimiento de causa las próximas intervenciones de rehabilitación energética. El presente artículo analiza el consumo energético real, de un periodo de 10 años, de un edificio rehabilitado durante los años 2007 -2008. Pasados más de 15 años de su rehabilitación se revisa cuáles han sido los consumos energéticos reales, a y qué aprendizajes se pueden aplicar a las nuevas rehabilitaciones. Con los datos reales de consumo energético acumulados durante estos años se advierten ya algunos aspectos relevantes que inciden en la eficiencia energética del edificio y que los modelos de simulación aún no incorporan. Los datos subministrados por los contadores de energía se contrastan con fuentes reconocidas y se comparan con la previsión de consumos de la certificación energética, demostrando diferencias sustanciales entre estos valores y la realidad. También se aprecian otros fenómenos que habrá que tener en cuenta en el futuro inmediato.

This article presents the design process and structural analysis for Halls 3, 4, and 6 commissioned by Fira de la Gran Vía in Barcelona. Its objective is to document the complete development of a real structure—from the initial briefing to final execution—highlighting key decisions related to cost, quality, construction speed, and standardization. Rather than simply describing the finished building, the article compares alternative solutions considered at each stage and explains the rationale behind the choices made. Close collaboration between the architectural and structural teams has resulted in a cost-effective solution that has remained relevant twenty-five years after completion. Each structural component is examined in detail, considering its behavior, preliminary sizing, fabrication, transportation, and rapid on-site assembly, all essential under the client’s demanding schedule. It also describes how specific structural details were resolved under project constraints, including instances that required unconventional approaches. Finally, it discusses the role of prestressed longitudinal frames as a strategy for reducing steel consumption. This article underscores the value of integrated architectural and structural thinking in shaping the building from the ground up.

This article presents the design process and subsequent structural analysis for for Halls 3, 4, and 6 of the Fira de la Gran Vía in Barcelona. Close collaboration between the architectural and structural teams resulted in a cost-effective solution that remains relevant twenty-five years after completion. Each structural component is examined in detail, considering its behavior, preliminary sizing, and the rationale behind its fabrication, transportation, and rapid on-site assembly—critical given the client’s tight schedule. This article also describes how structural details were interpreted and realized under the applied stresses and conditions, including instances that required unconventional approaches. Furthermore, the prestressing of the longitudinal frames is presented as a strategy that contributed to reducing the steel structure’s cost during construction. The paper emphasizes the creation of architecture from the ground up, a process often overlooked in the pursuit of a building’s form and function.