The Sagrada Familia
The Sagrada Famíla is the one of main symbols of Barcelona and the most recognized monument in the whole Spain, being visited every day by thousands of tourists. This stucture is one of the best examples of Modernist architecture designed by Antoni Gaudí and in spite of being unfinished until now, this cathedral still beautiful.
The construction began in 1882. Initially it was designed in a Neo-Gothic style, but one year later, architect Antoni Gaudí redesigned it entirely. He drafted a remarkable and original basilica that he planned to have 18 towers. However, he only built one of the curch’s tower because he died before he could complete it. Nowadays thanks to his elaborated architectural plans, his imaginary temple continues to be built by renowned and expert architects. They found money for the construction through the many visits and various donations.
This incomplete temple Sagrada Família is an impressive temple with big religious symbolism, we can see that by the towers, the facades and also the inside details that are some of it’s most splendid components.
In terms of components of the construction, the stone used for the bell towers on the Nativity and Passion facades is sandstone from Montjuïc in Barcelona. Much of the vaulting in the temple is made using thin masonry timbrel or Catalan vaults. This technique is very common in traditional construction in Catalonia. Decorative elements made from green and golden glass are set in the spaces left by the lines of tiles, representing the leaves of the trees represented by the vaults and columns.
Today, materials are applied using techniques offered by modern construction technology. Stone, wooden or metal are cut using computer controlled systems, even polyester, fiberglass or polystyrene, frames and shuttering used for reinforced concrete.
One of the main questions about that monument is when will the structure would be ready, but the answer is uncertain. All that we can kow is that, currently 70% of the Basilica is finished.