Sagrada Família – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Baslica i Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Famlia (Catalan pronunciation:[sa fmii]; English: Basilica and Expiatory Church of the Holy Family), is a large Roman Catholic church in Barcelona, Spain, designed by Catalan architect Antoni Gaud (18521926). Although incomplete, the church is a UNESCO World Heritage Site,[5] and in November 2010 Pope BenedictXVI consecrated and proclaimed it a minor basilica,[6][7][8] as distinct from a cathedral which must be the seat of a bishop.

Though construction of Sagrada Famlia had commenced in 1882, Gaud became involved in 1883,[5] taking over the project and transforming it with his architectural and engineering style, combining Gothic and curvilinear Art Nouveau forms. Gaud devoted his last years to the project, and at the time of his death at age 73 in 1926 less than a quarter of the project was complete.[9] Sagrada Famlia's construction progressed slowly, as it relied on private donations and was interrupted by the Spanish Civil War, only to resume intermittent progress in the 1950s. Construction passed the midpoint in 2010 with some of the project's greatest challenges remaining[9] and an anticipated completion date of 2026, the centenary of Gaud's death.

The baslica has a long history of dividing the citizens of Barcelona, over the initial possibility it might compete with Barcelona's cathedral, over Gaud's design itself,[10] over the possibility that work after Gaud's death disregarded his design,[10] and the recent proposal to build an underground tunnel of Spain's high-speed rail link to France could disturb its stability.[11]

Describing Sagrada Famlia, art critic Rainer Zerbst said, "It is probably impossible to find a church building anything like it in the entire history of art"[12] and Paul Goldberger called it, "The most extraordinary personal interpretation of Gothic architecture since the Middle Ages."[13]

The Basilica of the Sagrada Famlia was the inspiration of a Catalan bookseller, Josep Maria Bocabella, founder of Asociacin Espiritual de Devotos de San Jos (Spiritual Association of Devotees of St. Joseph).[14] After a visit to the Vatican in 1872, Bocabella returned from Italy with the intention of building a church inspired by that at Loreto.[14] The apse crypt of the church, funded by donations, was begun 19 March 1882, on the festival of St. Joseph, to the design of the architect Francisco de Paula del Villar, whose plan was for a Gothic revival church of a standard form.[14] The apse crypt was completed before Villar's resignation on 18 March 1883, when Gaud assumed responsibility for its design, which he changed radically.[14] Antoni Gaud began work on the church in 1883 but was not appointed Architect Director until 1884.

On the subject of the extremely long construction period, Gaud is said to have remarked: "My client is not in a hurry."[15] When Gaud died in 1926, the basilica was between 15 and 25 percent complete.[9][16] After Gaud's death, work continued under the direction of Domnec Sugraes i Gras until interrupted by the Spanish Civil War in 1936. Parts of the unfinished basilica and Gaud's models and workshop were destroyed during the war by Catalan anarchists. The present design is based on reconstructed versions of the plans that were burned in a fire as well as on modern adaptations. Since 1940 the architects Francesc Quintana, Isidre Puig Boada, Llus Bonet i Gari and Francesc Cardoner have carried on the work. The illumination was designed by Carles Buigas. The current director and son of Llus Bonet, Jordi Bonet i Armengol, has been introducing computers into the design and construction process since the 1980s. Mark Burry of New Zealand serves as Executive Architect and Researcher. Sculptures by J. Busquets, Etsuro Sotoo and the controversial Josep Subirachs decorate the fantastical faades.

The central nave vaulting was completed in 2000 and the main tasks since then have been the construction of the transept vaults and apse. As of 2006, work concentrated on the crossing and supporting structure for the main tower of Jesus Christ as well as the southern enclosure of the central nave, which will become the Glory faade.

One projection anticipates construction completion around 2026, the centennial of Gaud's deathwhile the project's information leaflet estimates a completion date in 2028, accelerated by additional funding from visitors to Barcelona following the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Computer-aided design technology has been used to accelerate construction of the building, which had previously been expected to last for several hundred years, based on building techniques available in the early 20th century.[citation needed] Current technology allows stone to be shaped off-site by a CNC milling machine, whereas in the 20th century, the stone was carved by hand.[17]

In 2008, some renowned Catalan architects advocated a halt to construction,[18] to respect Gaud's original designs, which, although they were not exhaustive and were partially destroyed, have been partially reconstructed in recent years.[19]

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Sagrada Família - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia