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Credits
Willcox, Cornélis De Witt, 1861-1938 · Public domain
Point 6 of 60 of 6 completed
The fish becomes part of the skyline
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41.3861, 2.1969
On arrival
Approach the Port Olímpic area and view Gehry's large fish from an open position where its full silhouette can be read against the skyline.
Look closer
Watch how the metal skin changes with viewing angle and daylight; compare the fish's scale with nearby buildings rather than with people.
The zoo ends when the animal becomes too large to feel like an object at all.
Finish with the animal that has almost stopped behaving like sculpture. Frank Gehry's Peix was created for the 1992 Olympic waterfront and stretches roughly 56 metres long and 35 metres high. Its metallic mesh catches and reflects changing light, so the body never reads as one solid colour or surface. The scale is the final twist in this escaped zoo: Coqueta and Meditació borrowed human behaviour; Botero's cat occupied a neighbourhood; Mariscal's crustacean became a landmark; Gehry's fish expands until it functions like architecture. Step back far enough to see it against the surrounding buildings. At that distance, Barcelona has not installed an animal in the city. It has made the city wear one.
Accessibility at this stop
Exterior waterfront viewing stop. Multiple open viewpoints are possible, but the final preferred step-free viewing position requires human or on-site verification.
These notes describe known conditions at this stop. Urban conditions can change, so assess the situation on site.
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6. The fish becomes part of the skyline
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