The Basílica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia is a Roman Catholic church located in Carrer de Mallorca 403, Barcelona, Spain. It was commissioned by the Spiritual Association of Devotees of Saint Joseph to architect Francisco de Paula del Villar y Lozano and construction began in 1866. It was commissioned for the creation of a temple dedicated to the Holy Family, hence its appropriate name. In 1883, Antoni Gaudí became architect and is best known for the design of the temple even though it has fallen into the hands of many architects after Gaudí’s death in 1926. The church has gone through generations of ongoing construction which has not yet concluded even though it is expected to be finished by 2026. The building has a religious and cultural significance as it holds religious events like masses as it was consecrated as a place of worship by the Pope in 2010, it also houses a museum that showcases some of Gaudí’s original restored maquettes. The church contains a Neo-Gothic style crypt built below the apse where Gaudí’s remains rest, so it also pays homage to its most important designer. The complex is one of the most visited places by tourists in Barcelona and the Fundació Junta Constructora del Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Familia holds guided visits and activities every day. Gaudí designed two sacristies for the complex, one of which is now open to the public: the Westen Sacristy. Its monumentality is acknowledged by its dimensions, its height reaching 172.5 meters and its length measuring 90 meters.
One of the most important aspects of the Sagrada Familia is its verticality. As this is a building that represents the Christian faith and devotion to the Holy Family, the aspect of verticality is deeply rooted within this symbolism. Gaudí designed 18 towers, 12 of which are shorter bell towers on the facades meant to represent the Apostles, 4 taller ones in the center that represent the four Evangelists as well as another one representing the Virgin Mary, while the tallest tower of all at the center represent Jesus Christ. Verticality is an important aspect in buildings that represent devotion to the Catholic faith as it symbolizes a connection between the sacred structure and the Heavens above as well as elevation towards G.d. Every single element in this “…basilica supports a theological intention” (Cirlot).
Gaudí designed three facades for the Church, each with a specific name and theme representing a different time in Jesus’ life, making the building itself a tangible devotion to Jesus Christ. The first facade he designed was titled as the Nativity facade “…before drawing up detailed plans for the whole complex, he plunged into building the Nativity facade.” (Permanyer). It represents the life of Infant Christ through very detailed sculptures and textures. What stands out the most are three great portals that are dedicated to Hope, Charity and Faith which are the three main virtues that all Christians should have. Sculptures of the Apostles are embedded above each of the portals, and inside the portals certain events in Jesus’ early life are described with sculptures. The following facade is titled Passion and follows the events of suffering in Jesus’ life as well as his death or crucifixion. This facade is completely different to the Nativity facade, it is less ornamental and more sober. The dramatic sculptures in this facade add onto this theme of suffering. The final facade, denominated the Glory facade, is meant to represent the glory of Jesus’ ascension to the Heavens through his death, final judgment and the Heavens themselves. This last facade will be completed in the next few years.
One of the things that Gaudí focused on greatly was the lighting of the building. In the exterior of the basilica, the light that touches the facades as the Sun rises and sets changes throughout the day and emphasizes the symbolisms that each aspect of each facade represents. He designed the interior with skylights that would provide daylight to the inside of the building. The importance of light is due to the fact that it represents the divine, which fits into the overall theme of devotion that the basilica has. Other sources of light for the interior are windows which in most cases draw the eye upwards, adding onto the verticality. Most of the light sources also function as decorative elements by using stained glass as the materials, this also provides a complete spectrum of colour that enters the interior. This is intentional, since Gaudí was passionate about colour, as he once said: “Ornamentation has, is and will always be coloured, nature does not present any monotone and uniform object. Everything in vegetation, in geology, in topography and in the animal kingdom always has a contrast in colour that is alive, so we should colour partly or all of architectonic elements…”
Colour and light were important aspects for Gaudí because he focused on nature. He saw nature as a work of G.d, and as such was a huge part of his inspiration when designing. This can be appreciated for example in the dimensions of the building which were meant to make an impact on the city’s skyline but were also inferior to Barcelona’s highest point: the hill of Montjuïc. The shapes used throughout the design of the basilica are Gaudí’s interpretation of nature, from the structural shapes to ornamental ones. Some of the ornaments found include birds, snails, seashells, cypresses, roses and olives, just to name a few. A spiral stair can be found inside the building, mirroring the image of a snail’s shell. Some of the ornaments also carry a symbolic meaning: for example, in the Nativity facade, a cypress tree can be found on top of a spire which is meant to represent the Tree of Life. The tree itself has three ornaments: the letter T that symbolizes G.d, the letter X that symbolizes Christ and a Dove that symbolizes the Holy Spirit, thus representing the Holy Trinity. Columns in the interior of the church were designed in a shape that mirrors that of trees as they branch out. This also provides an interesting interplay between what belongs in the exterior and in the interior, since trees usually belong outside of common buildings.
Initially, Gaudí used stone to build the temple. A specific type of stone was used for the bell towers in the Nativity and Passion facades: stone from Montjuïc. This supports the recurring theme of nature as a work of G.d being an inspiration. The installation of this specific type of rock in a building that is constructed as devotion to G.d holds a lot of significance. According to Permanyer, “Stone endows the whole ensemble with unity…”. However, stone was not the only material used. Many authors have touched upon the use of reinforced concrete in this building, which consists of steel bars covered in concrete. This creates a much stronger and durable material than concrete alone, and a building of this monumentality needs both of these things to fulfill its purpose. As this is a building that has been in construction for generations, advances in technology and construction are applied to the process. Today, the design team uses modern technology to build efficiently, for example using computerized technology to cut certain materials precisely.
Structurally, the Temple of the Sagrada Familia is made up of a Latin cross plan and a semicircular apse. Gaudí designed by using various geometric shapes like hyperboloids, paraboloids and helicoids (mostly seen in spiral staircases). He also made sure that a system of proportions would be constantly used throughout the whole complex. The system consisted of ratios based on twelfths of the largest dimensions. The strict proportions were not only applied to the basic structure but to windows, columns and vaults.
The Temple of the Sagrada Familia showcases Gaudí’s signature style and desire to break from the established orders, which makes each of his buildings unique. Authors like Lluís Permanyer categorize many of Gaudí’s works as Art Nouveau. This type of architecture dominates Barcelona. It includes naturalist architecture, something that Gaudí applied when designing due to his fascination with nature and its connection to G.d. The different shapes present in the building, the materials used, the manipulation of light both in the exterior and interior of the church, the spectrum of colours used and the detail found in every crevice of the complex are all clear indicators of his naturalistic influence. This is a building that holds many layers of significance and symbolism such as devotion to G.d, the Christian faith and an ode to nature. Yet it is also an icon of Barcelona, “The Sagrada Familia is Gaudí’s most famous work, the one which is most closely identified with Barcelona in the popular imagination”, according to Permanyer. This is because it has grown with generations. Its monumentality, verticality and impact on the skyline showcase the importance of this building. Even though Gaudí’s vision has not yet been completed, his spirit is embedded in the architecture and gives it life and will continue to do so even after its construction is finished.