Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona

A tilted wall of glass leaning out over a courtyard gives the Centre for Contemporary Culture of Barcelona its signature image. Known on signs as the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona, or simply the CCCB, it occupies the former Casa de la Caritat, a historic charity house in El Raval, converted by architects Albert Viaplana and Helio Piñón. The angled glass wing in the Pati de les Dones reflects the surrounding rooftops and, on a clear day, the hills beyond the city.

The CCCB has no permanent collection. It is a cultural centre built around changing exhibitions on cities, literature, science, technology and contemporary society, along with talks, debates, film screenings and festivals such as the Kosmopolis literature festival.

Opened in 1994, it now draws more than 300,000 visitors a year. It suits visitors interested in ideas and current debates more than classic art viewing, and it sits next door to the MACBA contemporary art museum.