Stone has been and continues to be the main construction material for the architecture of the Sagrada Família. This is how Gaudí wanted it, and this is how it has been for more than 130 years. In previous blog posts, we’ve looked at the international provenance of the stone at the Basilica, necessitated by the …
The architecture proposed by Gaudí is the result of a continuous effort in the search for perfection, which depended on constant experimentation. His empirical method, based on testing and correction, is how he was able to experiment with new shapes, surfaces and volumes, which couldn’t be seen in drawings, but in 3D models. However, he …
Continue reading » “Model makers, essential for testing and correction”
Gaudí said, “Sunshine is the best painter.” And today the experience inside the Temple truly shows he was right. Depending on the time of year, hour of the day and, even, the weather, the feeling inside can range from joyful or explosive heat to coldness and melancholy. So, it is an ever-changing symphony of colours …
Continue reading » “The stained-glass windows: this is how they were created”
The architect must take advantage of what operators know how to do and can do. They must make the most of each one’s most outstanding quality. This means: integrating, joining forces and giving them a hand when they get stuck; this way they work happily with the security that comes from fully trusting in the …
Continue reading » “Gaudí and teamwork: his artisan collaborators”
The bronze doors on the Passion façade made by Subirachs, the ones most recently placed on the Nativity façade made by Etsuro Sotoo (who manages the Temple’s team of sculptors) or the bronze crown that was placed on the highest point of the dome of the western sacristy in March 2016, are good examples of …
When you study the structure of Gaudí’s Temple and compare it to how Gothic cathedrals work, you can clearly understand the master’s intention of surpassing this style. And he truly did so, eliminating exterior elements, such as buttresses and flying buttresses, which he believed were like crutches. We sense this same desire to surpass Gothic …
Continue reading » “The Sagrada Família’s stained-glass windows: captivating light”
Gaudí, as we well know, designed not only buildings but also, in many cases, the furniture to go inside them. For the Sagrada Família, he designed two different styles of pews for the crypt. The first type, for the central area, has a moveable backrest, which means they can be used facing the central apse …
Continue reading » “The new pews for the Basilica: this is how they were created”
Antoni Gaudí was a revolutionary in his time and soon became one of the most characteristic architects of the Catalan Modernisme movement. His work, highly personal and imaginative, drew inspiration from plants and animals found in nature and his interest in using organic shapes that are curved instead of flat led him to create his …
