SAGRADA FAMÍLIA ARCHITECTURE

The basilica incorporates many symbols

Sagrada Família has a basic plan of a basilica. The Latin cross has porticoes on three sides. The Nativity facade on the eastern side depicts scenes related to Jesus’ birth. The Passion facade to the west, with sculptures made by Josep Maria Subirachs, depicts the Crucifixion, and the Glory facade at the main entrance shows people honoring the divine glory. There are four bell towers next to the facades and they represent the Apostles. Judas, St. John, and St. Matthew were replaced by St. Barnabas, St. Matthias, and St. Paul. What sets Sagrada Família apart is the contrast against the urban setting of Barcelona. There are eighteen towers on the basilica, symbols of biblical figures. They represent the twelve Apostles, the evangelists, the Virgin Mary, and the tallest central tower represents Jesus. The central towers, symbolizing Jesus, Mary, and the evangelists, let light into the basilica.

Gaudí changed the original plan

The original project was designed by architect Francisco de Paula del Villar in 1882 with Neo-Gothic elements. Gaudí changed it by envisioning a building that could stand on its own without internal bracing or external buttressing. The new idea is unrecognizable when compared to the first one because of more significant changes to the traditional Gothic architecture with features such as hyperboloidal vaults and a hyperbolic paraboloid roof. The architect intended for 13,000 people to fit inside.

The architect experimented with scale models

Models were very important to Gaudí, even more than floor plans, as he liked to create in a trial-and-error way. He spent a lot of time experimenting with scale models before he applied what he learned to the building. Modern architects continued this practice with the help of new technology.

The long construction of Sagrada Família

Domènec Sugranyes was in charge of the construction after Gaudí died in 1926. By that time, only the Nativity facade, a bell tower, the apse, and the crypt were completed. In the 1980s, the Nativity façade and the crypt were added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage sites. Francesc Cardoner i Blanch and later Jordi Bonet i Armengol became head architects. The central nave of the church was covered in 2010. The tower of the Virgin Mary was finished in 2021. It is 138 m (453 ft) tall and features a 12-pointed star on top, which is lit up at night. The following year, construction on the towers that represent St. Mark and St. Luke was completed. The basilica was completed in 2026, marking the 100th anniversary of Gaudí’s death. With the completion of the central Tower of Jesus Christ, the Sagrada Família reached a height of 172.5 meters, becoming the tallest church in the world.