Palau Sant Jordi
Turtle-backed indoor arena whose steel-lattice roof was assembled on the ground, then hydraulically lifted into place.
Location
About this audio guide
This guide to Palau Sant Jordi on Montjuïc hill traces the 1989 engineering gamble behind its silver domed roof: architect Arata Isozaki and structural engineer Mamoru Kawaguchi's decision to build the entire lattice roof on the ground before raising it into place above the arena's walls. You'll hear how the method, called the pantadome, let construction continue on this steep slope ahead of Barcelona's 1992 Olympics. Listen for what the venue has hosted since, from music icons to an event that turned the arena into something built for swimming.
This audio guide was created using AI.
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