The hoped-for date of completion? The centenary of Gaudí’s death: 2026. It’s a testament to the generations of architects, sculptors, stonecutters, fundraisers, and donors who became captivated by Gaudí’s astonishing vision, and are determined to incarnate it in stone. More than a century after Gaudí began, they’re still at it. The site - funded in part by admissions from daily hordes of visitors - bristles with cranking cranes, prickly rebar, scaffolding, and engineers from around the world, trained in the latest technology. After Gaudí’s death, construction continued in fits and starts, halted by war and stagnation. But he also encouraged his successors to follow their own muses. The Nativity Facade was Gaudí’s template to guide future architects. As with Gothic cathedrals of old, he knew it would require many generations to complete. Gaudí labored over Sagrada Família for 43 years. His vision: a church that would be both practical and beautiful. He molded concrete to ripple like waves and enlivened it with glass and tile. He pioneered many of the latest high-tech construction techniques, including parabolic arches, like those spanning the facade’s midsection. Gaudí mixed in his trademark “Modernist” (or Art Nouveau) elements: color, curves, and a clip-art collage of fanciful symbols celebrating Barcelona’s glorious history. ![]() The Nativity Facade, dedicated to Christ’s birth, features statues of Mary, Joseph, and Baby Jesus - the “Holy Family” (or Sagrada Família) for whom the church is named. “Nothing is invented,” he said, “it’s written in nature.” The church grows organically from the ground, blossoming to heaven.Īs a deeply religious man, Gaudí’s architectural starting point was Gothic: spires, “flamboyant” ornamentation, pointed arches, and Christian themes. Gaudí’s religious vision was infused with a love of nature. Two massive columns flanking the entrance playfully rest on the backs of two cute little turtles. The sculpted surface is crawling with life: people, animals, birds, trees, and weird bugs. It’s incredibly ornate, made from stone that ripples like frosting, blurring the architectural lines. The Nativity Facade exemplifies Gaudí’s unmistakable style. With light filtering in, dappling the nave with stained-glass color, a thousand choristers will sing. The huge church will accommodate 8,000 worshippers surrounded by a forest of sequoia-sized columns. The grand Nativity Facade (where tourists enter today) will become a mere side entrance. And in the very center will stand the 560-foot Jesus tower - the tallest in the world - topped with an electric cross shining like a spiritual lighthouse. When finished, the church will have four similar towers on each side, plus five taller towers dedicated to the Evangelists and Mary. ![]() The four spires are just a fraction of this mega-church. Gaudí’s Nativity Facade gives a glimpse at how grand this structure will be. The four 330-foot towers soar upward, morph into round honeycomb spires, and taper to a point, tipped with colorful ceramic “stars.” The only section finished by Gaudí himself is the Nativity Facade. Here’s one of my favorites.Ĭonstruction on the Sagrada Família began over a century ago (1883) and is still ongoing. Learning the stories behind great art can shed new light on our lives today. And for me, one of the great joys of travel is seeing art masterpieces in person. With its cake-in-the-rain facade and otherworldly spires, the basilica has become the icon of Barcelona.Īs America continues to suffer crisis upon crisis, it has never been more important to broaden our perspectives and learn about the people and places that shape our world. Antoni Gaudí’s most awe-inspiring work is this unfinished, super-sized basilica.
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