The Sagrada Família is at once a Catholic basilica, an architectural work still under construction and one of Barcelona’s defining urban landmarks. Antoni Gaudí’s design is often reduced to its towers and sculpted façades, but a visit becomes more rewarding when the building is read as a long collaboration between an evolving plan, craft traditions, religious symbolism and modern engineering. The project began in the nineteenth century and remains unfinished. Its changing skyline is not a sign of neglect: construction has proceeded in phases, interrupted by war, economic conditions and, more recently, the pandemic.
The foundation stone was laid in 1882 for a church promoted by the Association of Devotees of Saint Joseph. Architect Francisco de Paula del Villar initially directed the project, then Antoni Gaudí took over in 1883 and radically developed the design. He worked on it for decades, combining Gothic references with forms inspired by nature, geometry and Catalan architectural practice. Gaudí devoted the final years of his life almost entirely to the basilica. When he died in 1926, only part of the Nativity façade and one tower were complete; he knew the whole project would extend beyond his lifetime.
