Xemeneia de l'antiga fàbrica CELO

Xemeneia de l'antiga fàbrica CELO is an industrial chimney in Sant Adrià de Besòs, the only structure still standing from the former CELO glass factory that operated on this site for most of the 20th century.

What does CELO stand for?

CELO was a Spanish company that manufactured flat glass using the Libbey-Owens process, a drawn-sheet technique that was cutting-edge in the early 1900s. The plant opened in 1923 on a plot of roughly 30,000 square metres, which was later doubled in size. The site was chosen deliberately: it sat close to rail lines and thermal power stations, which simplified moving raw materials in and out and kept the energy-hungry glass-making process supplied with power.

What does the chimney look like, and what is it built from?

The structure is a classic brick industrial chimney. Its base is a square-plan prism finished in exposed ceramic brick, with arched moulding running across all four faces. Above the base, the shaft tapers upward, its surface broken up by geometric brickwork patterns rather than a plain finish. Near the top, a double cornice with a central frieze closes the composition — a detail typical of early-20th-century Catalan industrial architecture, where function and a decorative, far-visible silhouette went hand in hand.

What job did the chimney do inside the factory?

It vented the exhaust gases and fumes generated by the Libbey-Owens glass-making process, in which molten glass was kept continuously heated and drawn out into long flat sheets. During the Spanish Civil War (1936–39) the plant was switched to wartime production, a common shift across Catalan industry at the time.

Why is the chimney the only part left standing?

In 1985 the entire factory complex was demolished and a shopping centre went up in its place. The chimney alone survived as a witness to that industrial past, and it has since been listed as a Local Cultural Heritage Asset (Bé Cultural d'Interès Local). It also appears in Catalonia's industrial heritage inventory (IPAC), which formally protects it from demolition and requires approval for any building work nearby.

Where exactly does it stand, and how do you get there?

The chimney stands on Carrer de la Torrassa in Sant Adrià de Besòs, a municipality in the Barcelonès area, right on the grounds of today's shopping-centre car park. It pairs well with a visit to the nearby Tres Xemeneies, the three landmark chimneys of the former Besòs thermal power station that stand as a symbol of this stretch of the Barcelona metropolitan coastline.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you get up close to the CELO chimney? Yes, it stands in a public area within the car park, so you can walk right up to it and examine the brickwork in detail without any restrictions.

Is there an entrance fee? No, viewing the chimney from outside is free — it's part of the urban landscape rather than a museum or a ticketed attraction.

Can you go inside the chimney? No, it's a protected heritage structure and isn't open for entry — it can only be viewed from the outside.

How long does a visit take? A few minutes are enough to take in the chimney itself, but it's worth setting aside more time if you combine it with the Tres Xemeneies or a walk along the Besòs beachfront.