Sagrada de Familia towers

Four towers of the Sagrada de Familia, Barcelona, Spain. The towers are capped with geometrically-shaped cross-like tops reminiscent of Cubism, built around 1930. A gold sculpture of the Risen Christ sits on a bridge linking the spires. Words such as "Hosanna," "Excelsis" and "Sanctus" adorn the towers, while the doors of the Passion façade are covered with Biblical words in Catalan and other languages.

Antoni Gaudí (1852–1926) worked on the project for over 40 years. In the last 15 years of his life, he abandoned all other projects to concentrate on the Sagrada de Familia. After Gaudí's death, work continued under Domènech Sugranyes's direction, but was halted in 1936 by the Spanish Civil War.

Catalan anarchists destroyed parts of the unfinished church, along with Gaudí's models and workshop. The present design is based on reconstructed versions of the original plans. Since 1940, architects Francesc Quintana, Isidre Puig Boada, Lluís Bonet i Gari and Francesc Cardoner have worked on the project. The current director Jordi Bonet i Armengol introduced computers into the design and construction process. He strengthened the church foundations, built walls of the aisles and erected the branch-like columns of the Central Nave, using the traditional Catalan method of leaves of overlapping tile. Beginning in 1986, Josep Maria Subirachs carved nearly one hundred figures on the facade of the Passion.

Check back this weekend for more photos - exterior and interior - of the Sagrada de Familia.

Comments

[Di Overton]

Last time I visited Barcelona I had to be dragged away from that cathedral. Where else in the world can you watch a cathedral being built?

[gillian at indigo blue]

I'm absolutely stunned that human hands created this masterpiece.
What a world we inhabit, we are capable of so much, look at this architecture!!!
I'm loving this. What a feat.
xo

[Yoli]

That is stunning.