Anella Olímpica, Olympic Park in Sants-Montjuïc district, Barcelona, Spain.
The Anella Olímpica is a sports park in the Montjuïc area with stadiums, indoor halls, and training facilities that have stood for decades. The buildings vary in size and style, from modern structures to older facades, making the grounds visually diverse.
The site was originally built in 1929 as an exhibition grounds and gained greater importance when the city hosted international competitions in 1992. Some older structures were renewed then, while others retained their original forms.
The site was a gathering place for sporting events that drew people from around the world and made Barcelona known internationally. Today, the spaces and buildings remind visitors of this significance as they walk through the grounds.
The grounds sit on a hill, so there are multiple paths upward, some steeper than others, with regular stairs and ramps throughout. Sturdy shoes are practical, and you should allow time since the area is larger than it initially appears.
The Calatrava Communications Tower casts different shadows on the plaza below at various times of day, functioning like a giant sundial. Watching how the shadows shift and change position throughout the hours reveals the careful design behind the structure.
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