The winner of the Emporis Skyscraper Award 2010 was chosen from over 300 buildings which were completed within the award year, of which 17 were nominated to a shortlist.
Hotel Porta Fira was designed by the architecture firms Toyo Ito & Associates and b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos. The 26-floor hotel tower is 112.71 m (369.78 ft) tall and has a capacity of 345 rooms. The outer facade of the double-skin building is made of red aluminum tubes. Inspired by the lotus flower, the tower twists upwards and expands towards the top.
Porta Fira is part of the building complex “European Plaza” and is connected by an atrium to a rectangular office tower. The building was developed by FCC Construcción, Layetana Developments and Metropolis for Hotels Santos and was constructed by FCC Construcción.
Emporis Skyscraper Award 2010
World's best skyscraper in Barcelona
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Winning Design
The Emporis Award Jury chose Hotel Porta Fira as the Skyscraper of the Year 2010 for its exploration of color and design. The hotel tower, with its 26 floors and height of 112.71 m (369.78 ft), is situated in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat and is part of an urban regeneration project immediately adjacent to Barcelona.
Opposite the rounded, bright red Hotel Porta Fira stands the office tower Torre Realia BCN, which has a rectangular design. Both buildings stand in harmony to one another: although contrasting in shape, the office building echoes the red color, seen in the vortex.
Perhaps the most striking element of the winning building is the double-skin façade: the inner layer of stainless steel sandwich panels, while the outer layer is made of red aluminum tubes with a resin paint metallic finish. Toyo Ito & Associates and b720 Fermín Vázquez Arquitectos explored the idea of uniting both structure and surface into a single unit. The red louvers enwrap the building, forming an organic shape that expands with increasing height.
Hotel Porta Fira is built on a 5,755.55 m² (61,952.22 ft²) site. Geographically, it is situated near the El Prat International Airport, a major highway, the city’s new subway and is an extension of the "Gran Via" trade fair venue.