By Abhimanyu Ghoshal
Almost a century and a half after construction began on La Sagrada Familia, the exterior structure of the tallest church in the world was finally completed last Friday in Barcelona, Spain.
The
Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família, as it's officially
named and the only way I refer to it in casual conversation, has now had
its tallest tower, the tower of Jesus Christ, reach its maximum height.
It's been topped with the upper arm of a three-dimensional four-armed
cross that's clad in glass and white enameled ceramic.
Last
week saw the upper arm of this roughly 56-ft (17-m) tall cross fitted
with the help of a giant crane. That final piece, which is nearly 15 ft
(4.5 m) tall, completes the grouping of the six central towers of the
church – and brings the basilica's height to a dizzying 566 ft (172.5
m).
Interestingly, the cross was built in Germany using
white enameled ceramic tiles, stone interior and glass that were made in
the Spanish region of Catalonia. It was then transported in parts back
to Barcelona by ferry and trucks, and finally assembled at the church.
Those materials were chosen to realize celebrated
architect Antoni Gaudí’s idea of having the cross shine day and night.
Indeed, the cross, with its double twist geometrical design, is large
enough on the inside that it has a spiral staircase running up it, and
will have light streaming through its windows.
That's a monumental milestone for this church, which
saw construction originally begin all the way back in 1882. This storied
project has taken ages because it's been funded solely by private
donations, and has seen numerous architects take the lead in building it
over several decades.
This UNESCO World Heritage Site was consecrated as a basilica
– a Catholic church building bearing a specific designation and meant
for special ceremonies – by Pope Benedict XVI in 2010, with a view to
encourage followers to support its completion. You can see the sunning
transformation of the unfinished church over last several years in the
short clip below:
2007 -2026. Abans i ara | Antes y después | Before & after
Gaudí, who applied Gothic and Art Nouveau styles to
design this magnificent church, devoted his last 43 years to the project
before dying in a tragic accident; by that time in 1926, not even a
quarter of the Basílica de la Sagrada Família had been finished. He lies
buried in the church's crypt.
While the exterior is technically complete, there's
still work to be done over the next eight years in the church, including
decorative elements, the cladding on the arms of the cross, and
sculptures – including the Agnus Dei, or the Lamb of God. This will be
created by Italian artist Andrea Mastrovito, who won a competition last year
to design it. Mastrovito's Agnus Dei features the Lamb, made of hollow
glass and covered in glass fragments, suspended in the air from the
cross' upper arm within a hyperboloid covered in gold leaf. This
structure is meant to symbolize the relationship between matter and
energy, and between the Son and the Father.
The completion of the
cross, the tower of Jesus Christ, and in effect, the exterior of the
Basílica de la Sagrada Família coincides with the 100th anniversary of
Gaudí's death. The church notes it'll hold commemorative events all
through this year to celebrate the milestone; hopefully, that will drum
up enough interest among Catholics and visitors of other faiths to help
get the remainder of the project over the finish line by 2034.
Source: Fundació Junta Constructora del Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família
Abhimanyu Ghoshal
Abhimanyu has been a trusted voice in the science, technology, transport innovations, startup and AI spaces for more than a decade at several global outlets, including three and a half years as the managing editor at TNW. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, Psychology and Sociology. When he's not writing about breakthroughs in science and tech, he's usually out motorcycling around South India.