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The Olympic Village was built as a residence for the athletes that participated at the Olympic Games in 1992. The rehabilitation of this degraded area located in the old industrial Poblenou neighbourhood was realised by the renowned architects Bohigas, Martorell, McKay and Puigdomenech. They turned it into an attractive area with lots of green and open space, respecting the structure of the Plan Cerda from the 19th century in the Eixample, although some whisper the result is a little impersonal. The emblematic "two towers", i.e. the big Arts Hotel and the "Mapfre Tower" with its offices were, with their 154 meters tall, the tallest skyscrapers in Spain for many years. This area now has 2000 apartments, an important movie theatre in original version and many works of art, such as the Golden Fish by Frank O. Gehry. But the main attraction are the beaches and the Olympic Harbour next to it, with a palm-lined promenade, numerous restaurants with terraces overlooking the sea and dozens of nightclubs. It has turned into one of the most popular leisure areas in Barcelona.
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