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August 2003

Catalonia - Barcelona (Works of Gaudi)

David Aaronson
2005-09-27 22:42:17

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is El Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia (Expiatory Temple of the Sacred Family) and it has been under construction for 115 years and is perhaps about 60% done now. Current plans call for the final four spires to be half again as tall as the existing eight.

There are four spires on each of the two main facades and four more yet to come which will surround the central vault which is not yet complete (7). Each spire represents an apostle. The statues of the individual apostles can be seen low on the spires and their names are carved in Latin just above the long vertical windows.

Obviously multiple architects have run the project over the course of 115 years, although Gaudi's influence is the most obvious and dictates the overall design of the church. This is the Passion Facade which was built from 1954 to 1976 (8). Most of the sculptures were done by Josep Subirachs whose angular style is in stark contrast to the facade done by Gaudi.

The other facade is the Nativity Facade and Gaudi had his hand in pretty much every aspect of this (9). The central spires is a green cypress tree covered in white doves which is difficult to see here. Somehow this entire side looks to be slowly melting. For a small fee visitors can go up into several of the spires. We did not however, having already paid the large fee to come inside and see what is basically two facades connected by a construction site.

The inside will clearly be spectacular one day (10). This is a section of the vault which is completed. Gaudi's idea with the support pillars was to evoke the notion of trees, branching them as they go up. There's something rather impressive about a half-finished cathedral as well. Most of the interior is still open to the sky.

It's almost impossible to avoid the cranes in these photos, since it is under construction (11). While expensive to enter, it is worth the fee. Underneath the temple in the completed crypts is Gaudi's tomb as well as a museum devoted to his life and in particular the techniques he used to design and construct the Sagrada Familia. There is also a small working chapel under one side of the temple where services are held until such time as the main building is finished. That date is almost certainly a long way off.