A short set of photographs taken at and on the Arc de Triomf in Barcelona. This was built in 1888 to support the Exposició Universal de Barcelona (World Fair), and frames the end of a large pedestrian boulevard. The arch is not normally accessible, but this year it was opened to the public as part of the 48H Open House BCN, allowing small groups of people access to the surprisingly roof space.

It is quite an interesting structure, mostly made from simple red bricks with minimalist and simple ornamentation. The roof space is quite small, and the deep walls make it difficult to get good views over the city. We were also quite late arriving – thanks in part to an hour and a half of queuing – which meant less than ideal lighting.

There was however, a good view of the provincial law courts (which surprisingly still seem to be in use, not having relocated to the Ciutat de la Justícia):

Those queues were in part because of the extremely narrow staircase, which limits the rate at which people can access the roof space. It was also incredibly popular…

The roof of the Arc de Triomf is not an obvious venue for street photography, but the following might give an idea of what was going on at the top: