The Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia or simply known as Sagrada Familia, Antoni Gaudí’s unfinished work of art, is one of Barcelona’s most popular tourist attractions. The church will not be completed before 2041 and the construction is still going on, but it has already become Barcelona’s most important attraction.
Antoni Gaudí took over as lead architect of this church at the age of 31. From that moment on, Gaudí devoted most of his life to the construction of the church. Gaudí changed the design drastically every now and then. The neo gothic style made way for Gaudí’s trademark modernist style, which was based on forms found in nature. After his death in 1926 only one facade - the nativity façade, one tower, the apse and the crypt were finished. As the design was changing constantly there are no models to follow.
The last account of his design called for a church 95m/312ft long and 60m/197ft wide. The church when finished will be able to accommodate 13,000 people. When completed, the Sagrada Familia will have a total of 18 towers. Four Towers on each of the three facades represent the 12 apostles. The towers reach a height of 90 to 120m. Another four towers represent the 4 evangelists. They will surround the largest, 170m/558ft tall tower, dedicated to Jesus Christ. The last tower, devoted to Virgin Mary, will be built over the apse.
Even though the Sagrada Familia is far from complete, the outstanding church is well worth a visit. One can visit the crypt were Gaudí is buried. A museum tells the story of this great architect and the history of the church. One can also visit the towers. A lift and a long walk will lead one to the top of a tower from where one can get a magnificent view over Barcelona.
The church has three facades, each one having three porches. The Facade of the Nativity was completed first. The three portals of this facade are related to the Christian themes of faith, hope, and charity. The iconography supports the central dogmas of the Catholic Church. Although biographical events are depicted, they are not in chronological order. The importance has been given to themes than any time sequence.
Gaudí wanted to build a “20th century cathedral”, a fusion of all his architectural knowledge with a complex system of symbolisms and a visual exposition of the mysteries of faith. There would be facades representing the birth, death, and resurrection of Christ with eighteen towers symbolizing the twelve Apostles, the four Evangelists, and the Virgin Mary and Christ. This latter, the tallest, would stand 170 meters high. The church was based on the plan of a Gothic basilica with five naves, a transept, an apse, and ambulatory. Gaudí intended monumental facades on the central nave and the arms of the transept. He wanted to give the edifice a spectacular vertical dimension by way of an effusion of pinnacles and high, spiral-shaped towers which would be enclosed in abstract patterns of Venetian glass mosaic crowned by Episcopalian symbols and the cross.
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