Casa de les Vàlvules

Casa de les Vàlvules stands beside the Torre de les Aigües del Besòs in Barcelona’s Poblenou district. Solid Catalan brickwork and steel roof beams give the building a clear industrial character. Pere Falqués designed the complex, including the tower’s staircase with its distinctive Catalan vaulting technique. Together, the structures preserve a chapter of Barcelona’s nineteenth-century water infrastructure.

Pumps and boilers once pushed groundwater from beneath the Besòs into the tower’s tanks. The water proved too salty for drinking, so nearby metallurgical industries later used the facilities. Restored during the urban redevelopment associated with the 1992 Olympic Games, the building now hosts cultural activities, workshops, exhibitions, and group events. Tables, chairs, power outlets, climate control, a projector, and accessible ground-floor bathrooms support gatherings inside.

One of the most striking details is Blinky Palermo’s Himmelsrichtungen, made from four acrylic-painted glass panels held in steel profiles. The work was Palermo’s final creation and reached Barcelona after his death.