The Pyramid was commissioned by the highway operator Autoroutes du Sud de la France[fr] for their public art program. A broader landscaping project was first envisaged, dubbed the Park of the Marca Hispanica with reference to the ancient name for Catalan territories south of the Pyrenean passes. Ricardo Bofill Taller de Arquitectura's initial concept was of a one-kilometer-long sequence of artificial landscape along the highway, a "longitudinal monument" to mark the transition from Spain to France, punctuated by visually striking shapes including a series of colossal truncated pyramids.[4]:183–184 The later design process focused on a single artificial pyramid-shaped hill to be built from materials excavated during the construction of the highway.
The pyramid's base is a notional square of 160 meters side length, above which it rises to a height of 70 meters.[4]:186Ricardo Bofill and his team viewed it as a celebration of the role of the Pyrenean mountain passes, and especially of the Col du Perthus, in Catalan history. To that effect, the four columns at the top evoke the Catalan national emblem or Senyera.[4]:187 The design carries further influences from Mesoamerican architecture, Italian gardens, and surrealism.
As it was inaugurated in 1976 after the death of Francisco Franco and the start of the Spanish transition to democracy, the pyramid also became a symbol for Spain's European aspirations and opening to its northern neighbors.[5]
