IT HAS OFTEN BEEN SAID THAT MODERN BARCELONA WAS DEVELOPED BY GREAT EVENTS. THE UNIVERSAL EXHIBITION OF 1888, THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF 1929, THE OLYMPIC GAMES OF 1992 AND THE UNIVERSAL FORUM OF CULTURES 2004, HAVE ALL BEEN DRIVING ENGINES OF CITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, BEYOND THEIR SPECIFIC ORGANISATIONAL AGENDAS. IT WOULD SEEM BARCELONA NEEDS TO FIND DRAMATISED PRETEXTS TO CHANNEL AND ENCOURAGE ITS AMBITION AND INITIATIVE AS A CITY. WECAN RECALL THESE EVENTS IN ARCHITECTURE BY LOOKING AT THE CONSTRUCTIONS THAT REMAIN. ONE OF THESE IS THE TORRE SANT SEBASTIÀ, AT ONE END OF THE CABLE CAR TRAMWAY STRETCHING ACROSS THE PORT. COMPLETED IN SEPTEMBER 1931, THE TOWER IS A TERRIFIC OBSERVATORY AND HIDES A SPLENDID SURPRISE: THE TORRE D’ALTAMAR RESTAURANT.

Far-Reaching
The prospect is a meal at 75 metres over the port and La Barceloneta district, with views of the former Sant Sebastià baths. This area reached the peak of its splendour in the first decade of the twentieth century, slowly declining thereafter to eventually re-emerge during the Olympic Games period. In this case, the outside of the place is as important as its decoration inside. The tower and the cable car system were designed in 1926 as a connection point for the Montjuïc mountain constructions, which were being developed to accommodate the International Exhibition, along with the port and the rest of the city. Its past is also marked by a restoration, since this construction had already contained a restaurant that closed down more than 30 years ago. The metallic structure is in the same style as the iron constructions that once made Europeans gape up towards the sky, much like the Eiffel Tower in Paris, a type of construction often seen across rivers, as in the bridge over the Douro in Oporto. The entrance to the restaurant is very stimulating. A glass elevator whisks you up to the top with the speed of a theme park roller coaster. But once inside the restaurant, the relaxed atmosphere takes its effect. A small living room where comfort contrasts with the rigidity of the iron serves as a waiting room. Once in the restaurant, the view is worthwhile. There are not many tables, but all of them are close to windows - so enjoy the sea from the sky.