The La Sagrada Familia Basilica is one of the most visited tourist attraction in the whole country of Spain. Moreover, one architect made a huge impact throughout the generations of architects, builders, and craftsmen on building the cathedral, his name is Antoni Gaudi. This paper will provide information on Sagrada Familia focusing on the history, architectural and economic significance to those who are pursuing architecture according to Antoni Gaudi’s influence to the church that is now a brilliant masterpiece.
In the 18th century, the teachings of the church were fading due to the rise of social tensions. Josep Maria Bocabella y Verdaguer, a founder of a spiritual association of devotees of St. Joseph resolved this by commencing a project to build an expiatory temple which is a small house of God built with money from alms. The foundation stone was first laid on St. Joseph’s day, March 19, 1882 (Escales 2016). Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano was in charged to be the first chief architect by the administrations of the church. However, for a short moment of time, the architect stepped down from the job due to an argument between him and the organizers. A young architect took place, Antoni Gaudi who managed the construction of the temple for 43 years from 1883 to 1923 (Sagrada Familia Organization n.d., para. 1). Gaudi permitted to complete the first idea with a Gothic theme of the previous architect for the building then he proposed a new design that symbols the Holy Family. It was interrupted when there were no funds to sustain the site. Gaudi went from door to door begging for alms to continue the church. After Gaudi died from an accident, he was later laid in a cathedral where he lived and worked (Sagrada: Mystery of Creation 2012). Additionally, all of the churches in Barcelona were burnt including the work of Gaudi such as his drawings, plans, and the models of the Sagrada Familia during the civil war. There were only 30 original drawings were left to continue with. As a result of the works of Gaudi, historians and builders or designers tried to build those models closely to Gaudi’s masterpiece into his dream (Roe 2012)
Antoni Gaudi’s conception in forming the Sagrada Familia was based on the traditions of Gothic and Byzantine Cathedrals. He planned the construction by combining different geometric forms like hyperboloids, paraboloids, helicoids, ellipsoids, double-twisted columns, and conoids. The geometric form hyperboloid can be seen in the opening of the windows and the vault. The paraboloid was used to create linking surfaces between the vaults and the roofing. The helicoids can be seen in the spiral staircases while the ellipsoids can be seen in the main column where it is subdivided into branches. Double-twisted columns were used to achieve greater stability and for more harmonious effect and conoids are for the walls and roofs (Sagrada Familia Organization n.d., para. 5-7). As for the proportion of the building, he used simple ratios, as in one is to one and a half, to one to two thirds, one to three fourths etc. with the light and color. Antoni Gaudi made great use of light color and sunlight to support the lighting of the place. On the aerial view, the Sagrada Familia is a church with four aisles forming a Latin cross and its top is closed by the semi-circular apse (Taylor Made Concrete Structures n.d.). The Basilica has three facades namely the Nativity façade, Passion façade, and the Glory façade facing east, west, and south respectively. The most direct work of Gaudi was the Nativity façade that symbolizes the birth of Jesus with the depiction of the forms of life through 138 sculptures from different portals such as the Portal of Charity, Portal of Hope, and Portal of Faith (de la Torre-Arenas n.d.). The Passion façade is dedicated to the suffering and resurrection of Jesus, the façade’s structures a narthex that is supported by six pillars and on the top of it composed by eighteen more. Josep Subirach’s works are displayed in the façade (Sagrada: Mystery of Creation 2012) To fully understand the influence and importance of Gaudi’s masterpiece is to observe each style from having a wide point of views on the styles of the structures, buildings, and his religious beliefs also analyzing its social and historical context (Roe 2012).
The famous Antoni Gaudi has created with this magnificent building a special feature that justifies every trip to Barcelona worth while. Economically, the tour La Sagrada Familia comes in different packages where the customers can choose which is most suited with their budget for this tour. There are four different types of packages wherein depending on the individuals and its purposes such as the individual tickets, group tickets, and school tickets (Sagrada Familia Organization n.d., para. 1). It includes the audio guide with numerous of languages, tour guides that speaks in English, and different access to any of the locations that varies from the ticket you have bought. Choosing any of the packages will automatically be a free pass from the long line to get tickets. Mostly in the summer months, there are waiting times in front of the ticket counters for two hours or more even and that is not really uncommon. For those people who have pre-booked tickets on the official booking site of the Sagrada Familia may miss this long queue (Barcelona.de n.d., para. 1) In 2010, the most important person in the Catholic community visited the temple of the Holy Family, Pope Francis XVI who held a mass there (Catholic News Agency 2010, para. 1-4). Before the pope visited, two hundred and eighty craftsmen were in a rush to finish the central nave at that time before the Pope arrive. Through the years of work, twenty-two architects continued the masterpiece of Antoni Gaudi. Gaudi’s influence to his next generations of architects has also facilitate the famous church. As a result, the Basillica is a growing monument part with the people who are visiting the temple, cars driving by, more devoted people, and the structure itself (The Independent UK 2010, para. 3)
Overall, Sagrada Familia is full of symbolism through its structure, statues, and the storytelling of each tower based on the teachings of the Catholic way and Jesus Christ’s life from his birth until his death. In virtue of Chief Architect Antoni Gaudi’s concept of the church it became a national significance to Barcelona. A growing building itself, more and more stories to tell from the very start until the hundreds of years of progress, and the increase of the visitors that were and will also become part of the significance of Sagrada Familia.