Barcelona as the capital of Catalonia, the second biggest city in Spain and sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union, is a city with one of the largest number of skyscrapers in Europe. The recent trend in architecture in recent years has been promoting the construction of high-rise buildings as part of a wider modernisation plan that has been taking place since 1992, the year the Olympic games were held in Barcelona. Most of the skyscrapers in Barcelona were built in the 70s, 90s, and after 2002.
Barcelona has a few clusters of skyscrapers (outside the historic city center): Diagonal Mar (nearly twenty skyscrapers), Gran Via (about fifteen skyscrapers), around Plaça d'Espanya (a few skyscrapers) and Eix Macià (a few skyscrapers). The other skyscrapers are scattered about the city.
Barcelona and its metropolitan area has about 15 skyscrapers above 100 m (328 ft) and more than 40 skyscrapers between 70 m (230 ft) and 100 m (328 ft), a total of about 60 skyscrapers above 70 m (230 ft). As for the number of skyscrapers above 100 m (328 ft), Barcelona has a 7th place in the European Union. When it comes to use, most skyscrapers is the office buildings and hotels.