Passion façade by Wjh31 is licensed under CC BY 3.0
Detail of the roof in the nave by SBA73 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Sagrada Família, located in Barcelona, Spain was designed by Antoni Gaudí. In it, he blends Gothic and Art Nouveau styles. This was his last work and when he died in 1926 it was still incomplete. It is still under construction and set to be completed by 2026 which is the centennial anniversary of Gaudí’s death. Despite the fact that it is still in progress, the Sagrada Família is the most visited monument in Spain and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Design Facts
Leading figure in architecture criticism Paul Goldberger described it as “The most extraordinary personal interpretation of Gothic architecture since the Middle Ages.” When completed, it will be the tallest church building in the world.
It has 3 different faces, called the Nativity, Passion and Glory facades. The Nativity facade was constructed between 1894 and 1930 and bears the most similarity to Gaudí’s original design.
Looking at the intricate ornamentation and elaborate forms, you can understand why it is so popular among tourists. Hopefully, 2026 will see a glorious completion of the work which Gaudí helped initiate in 1883.
To see more of Gaudí’s works check out my posts on the Casa Batlló, Casa Milá, Casa Vicens, and El Capricho.
