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Will the Sagrada Familia ever be finished?
There is still no ending date in sight for Gaudí’s masterpiece cathedral in Barcelona
The Sagrada Familia is one of Barcelona’s most recognisable landmarks and a wonder of modern architecture. Despite being an open tourist attraction and a working cathedral that is used to celebrate Catholic masses, it is also unfinished and work has been continuing to complete the structure, designed by famous architect Antoni Gaudí, since 1882.
Over 240 years later, the Sagrada Familia continues to grow vertically. The most recent addition to the building are the near completion of two towers of the evangelists John and Matthew, with the imminent placement of the two sculptures that will be installed there crowning them.
Made by the sculptor Xavier Medina-Campeny, their official presentation to the public will come through a blessing mass that will be celebrated on November 12. The towers – awaiting the completion of the imposing, 172-metre tall one dedicated to Jesus Christ himself – will have a height of 135 meters, which will make them the third tallest in the structure.
Also slated for completion ‘soon’ is the star of Jesus which will top the tower of the same name and that will be installed in 2026, coinciding with the centenary of the death of Gaudí.
So far, so good, but from there on, those responsible for the work say they “cannot set a date now because plans changed with the pandemic. For now the main objective is that the cross and the chapel of the Assumption [on Provença Street] are completed in 2026.”
The cathedral received far fewer visitors than normal between 2019 and 2021 due to the impact of Covid-19, and as a result had less money to be able to spend on construction.
In 2023, the Sagrada Familia is expected to receive 4.5 million visitors, bringing in vital funds which are important to be able to continue the seemingly endless work. For the current year, the Sagrada Familia has a budget of 100 million euros, of which 50 million are allocated directly to construction work.
However, money is not the only issue to be considered, and there are other problems on the horizon which will be difficult to resolve and may mean the cathedral is never fully completed to plan.
Why might the Sagrada Familia never be finished?
One stumbling block to the continuation of work on the cathedral is a large staircase that is supposed, according to the blueprints drawn up by Gaudí, to go up the cathedral’s Gloria façade. The problem is that a block of flats is currently in the way and the passage of traffic in this area, on Calle Mallorca, make it near impossible to carry out the plans that were made over a century ago.
For now, those responsible for the Sagrada Familia’s Construction Board have not met with the new mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni, although they did show yesterday their willingness to dialogue with all the parties involved, from the City Council to the local residents.
“Our will is to find a solution and choose what is best for the neighbours and for the city,” they said, while underscoring, “We are not giving up on the stairs. It is something that is part of Antoni Gaudí’s original project.”
Whether compromises will have to be made on the architect’s vision or whether a satisfactory solution can eventually be found, the construction work on what is possibly the world’s most famous cathedral and its longest-running construction project doesn’t look set to finish any time soon.
Image: Archive
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