Sagrada Familia, Antonio Gaudi’s famous yet incomplete landmark, is moving forward toward completion. As of last week, five out of the six central towers have been fully constructed. Since this January, when the towers of Evangelists Luke and Mark were finished, two additional towers, dedicated to Evangelists Matthew and John, have been crowned with statues by sculptor Xavier Medina-Campen, marking their completion. The Junta Constructora del Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, the foundation overseeing the construction, announced a special Mass on November 12 to mark the inauguration, initiating the illumination of the four towers all throughout the Christmas season.
Gaudi’s design for the church includes 18 spindle-shaped towers, each dedicated to a different biblical figure: the 12 apostles, the four evangelists, the Virgin Mary, and Jesus. With the Evangelists towers now completed, and the Virgin Mary tower inaugurated in December 2022, the last remaining tower, dedicated to Jesus, is planned to finish construction in 2026. Each of the four evangelists' towers is crowned with a sculpture representing an ox, an eagle, a human, and a lion, according to biblical iconology. The towers measure 135 meters in height, making them the third tallest towers of the church when it is finished.
The ambitious project Sagrada Familia, incorporating elements of Modernism, Art Nouveau, and Gothic Revival, has been under construction for over 140 years, yet it attracts millions of visitors every year. The first completed part of the structure, the Nativity Façade, which also bears the most direct Gaudi influence, has gained UNESCO World Heritage status, along with six other buildings by Gaudi in Barcelona.
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La Sagrada Familia Granted Building Permit after 137 YearsConstruction of the Sagrada Familia has been controversial and has faced prolonged delays. As part of Gaudi’s drawings and designs for the church were lost following his death in 1926, some critics argued that the architects who took over struggled to adhere to Gaudi’s vision, as pointed out by The New York Times. Nevertheless, the unfinished state of the building added to its enduring appeal, as Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia represents one of the most famous unfinished buildings worldwide.
In 2019, the famous monument was granted a building permit, 137 years after construction began. The site agreed to pay $ 41 million to city authorities as a penalty, a tax planned to be used to improve public transportation in the surrounding area. Construction is planned to be completed by 2026, on the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s death. In the same year, Barcelona is scheduled to host the UIA congress as it will become the UNESCO World Capital of Architecture.
