Frank Gehry’s Golden Fish Sculpture

The 52-metre-long golden fish sculpture El Peix is one of the best-known and most striking landmarks on Barcelona’s seafront. Its gold-coloured stainless steel surface shines under the Mediterranean sun and changes appearance depending on the angle of the sun and the current weather conditions.

The giant fish sculpture which was designed by Frank Gehry for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics
The Fish Sculpture Designed by Frank Gehry for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics

The fish statue was built for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. The gold-coloured steel structure serves as a canopy for the casino and restaurants, which link the luxurious Hotel Arts to the seafront.

The giant fish sculpture on Barcelona's seafront shining under the summer sun.
The Giant Fish Sculpture Shines Under the Summer Sun

About the Artist

The Canadian architect Frank Gehry was born in Toronto in 1932 and currently lives in Los Angeles. His best-known works include the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao (Spain) and The Experience Music Project in Seattle (USA). Gehry’s work is normally classed as “post-modernist” or “deconstructivism”. The sweeping lines of the abstract fish sculpture sit well with this description.

Barcelona's fish sculpture seeen from the seafront
View of the Goldfish Sculpture from the “Passeig Maritim”
People strolling in winter time, Frank Gehry's fish statue shines golden in the afternoon sunshine. You can also see the emblematic hotel arts and the Mapfre tower.
Barcelona seafront in winter

Location

Passeig Marítim de la Barceloneta

How to get there

The fish sculpture is near to the Ciutadella / Villa Olimpica metro station (L4) and tram stop (T4).

Other attractions nearby

  • David and Goliath
  • The Port Olimpic Marina
  • The Olympic Village
  • Barceloneta Beach
  • Parc de la Ciutadella (Citadel Park)

Map

The Fish Statue

Passeig Maritim

Barcelona, Spain

2 comments

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *