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Located on Avinguda de Miramar, on Barcelona’s Montjuïc hill, the pool was originally built for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition and then refurbished for 1955 Mediterranean Games. At the Barcelona’92 Olympic Games, it was the venue for water polo and diving events. In accordance with the design by the architect Antoni de Moragas and the company Barning, the Organising Committee for the Barcelona’92 Olympic Games (COOB’92) commissioned every aspect of the pool’s refurbishment.

The facility has two pools, one for water polo competitions and one specifically designed for diving. While its permanent capacity is for 4,100 spectators, capacity was increased to accommodate 6,500 spectators during the Olympic Games. A marquee specifically for journalists was also set up at pool level. The stands on the southern side were deliberately removed to provide a panoramic view of the city. In fact, the backdrop was so popular with the media that it became an iconic image of the Barcelona’92 Olympic Games.

In 2002, Barcelona City Council assigned the facility’s management to the company SEAE and the Catalan Swimming Federation. In 2003, it became a high-level competition space once again, when the World Aquatics Championships were held in Barcelona. It is now used for sport and recreational purposes, and it is open to the public.

Selected resources

AOMSA: l’Anella Olímpica de Montjuïc

Anella Olímpica, S.A. (1990): AOMSA: l’Anella Olímpica de Montjuïc. Barcelona: Ajuntament de Barcelona.

Barcelona Olímpica : la ciudad renovada

Barcelona Olímpica : la ciudad renovada. Barcelona: Holsa; Àmbit, 1992. 

Instal·lacions de competició = Instalaciones de competición = Installation compétition = Competition facilities

COOB’92 (1990): Instal·lacions de competició = Instalaciones de competición = Installation compétition = Competition facilities. Barcelona: COOB’92.

Los escenarios

COOB’92 (1992): “Los escenarios”, Memoria oficial de los Juegos de la XXV Olímpiada, Barcelona 1992. Vol.2. Los medios : objetivos, recursos y escenarios. Barcelona: COOB’92, pp. 127-337

Barcelona: la ciutat i el 92

Guevara, M. Teresa (1990): Barcelona: la ciutat i el 92. Barcelona: Olimpíada Cultural.

In the repository

In the Municipal Contemporary Archive, you can consult the administrative and management documentation generated on this topic by the Organising Committee Barcelona’92, SA (COOB’92), Holding Olímpic SA (HOLSA), Anella Olímpica de Montjuïc SA (AOMSA) (Olympic ring), Vila Olímpica SA (VOSA) (Olympic village) and the Institut Municipal de Promoció Urbanística SA (IMPUSA) (municipal Institute of urban development).

If you need further information on the collection, read the collection guide.

In the library

In the libraries of the study centres of the Barcelona Olympic Foundation (FBO) and the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) you can find the selection of listed documents and other bibliographic materials on the subject.

If you are interested in knowing more about our Olympic collection, you can consult the Union Catalogue of Catalan Universities (UAB collection) or contact us by e-mail (FBO collection).

Sports in pictures

If you are interested in images of the Olympic and Paralympic Games of Barcelona’92, the Image Service of the Olympic Foundation of Barcelona will help you identify the images that satisfy your needs.

The Foundation manages the official image archive of the Barcelona’92 Games. You can contact them by email to request more information about the services provided and the collection of images. In this page, we offer a selection of images on the event.