In his time, Gaudí predicted that “people would come from all over to see the Sagrada Família,” and that the Temple would “influence art”. And this has been the case for the over one hundred years the Basilica has been under construction. Throughout this time, the Sagrada Família has welcomed visitors who have been key …
20 March is the first day of spring, the season when nature comes alive after its winter lethargy and shows off all its splendour. Gaudí found great inspiration in nature, and this influence was surely at least partially due to the fact that, as a child, he had rheumatic diseases that forced him to spend …
Continue reading » “Nature and its influence on the Sagrada Família: three examples”
[Author: Arxiu Mas] For the Nativity façade, the sculptures were made using plaster moulding, which in Gaudí’s era was quite common. So, in his workshop, he created moulds of all sorts of vegetables, leaves and fruit, and also of typical carpentry tools, like a chisel and a hammer, for the portal of Saint Joseph. He …
Continue reading » “How the sculptures on the Nativity façade were made: plaster moulding”
Gaudí laid out most of the theological programme for the Temple, which artists have been commissioned to carry out with their own creativity ever since. However, in order to give their work the right expressiveness and make sure all the pieces fit together, it is important for the artists to have a deep understanding of …
Continue reading » “Theology and Art committees: advisers for Gaudí’s project”
One of the things that sets Gaudí apart from other architects of his time is the fact that structural issues and formal issues, those regarding the appearance of his architecture, are always interrelated and, in some way, inseparable. And the Schools at the Sagrada Família are a good example of this. Gaudí built the Schools …
On the path the Sagrada Família has undertaken towards 2026, the year the Temple architecture is expected to be completed, we are currently at a very meaningful juncture, with the construction of the central towers that will crown the building. Their growth, which began in December 2016 when the first panels were put in place …
The double twist columns must be understood from the standpoint of Gaudí’s desire to constantly push the envelope. He had experimented with columns with helicoidal movement a lot, at Park Güell and the temple, and the helix shapes gave them a feeling of upward movement. This dynamism draws the observer’s eye upwards, connecting the earth …
Continue reading » “Double twist columns: geometry, mechanics and symbolism”
The fact that the tower of Jesus Christ is open to visitors, as Gaudí wanted, means it must have a staircase and a lift, which totally transform the perception of this lantern as it fills a space that would traditionally be open. With the tower of the Virgin Mary, the inside is more dome-like, although …
Continue reading » “The core of the central lantern: a tower inside a tower”
The feast day of Barcelona’s patron saint, Our Lady of Mercy (La Mercè), is coming up soon and here at the Sagrada Família we always take advantage of this date to hold open doors days and share all the latest on the works. In this case, we can’t forget that work will begin on the …
Continue reading » “How are the panels for the tower of Jesus Christ different?”
When we explain the project for the Sagrada Família, we often say it will have eighteen towers, putting the ones on the façades in the same sack as those in the centre of the Temple. However, although it is true this is the number of towers Gaudí had in his plans, there is a very …
Continue reading » “Bell towers and central towers: different uses, different design”
