ryanpanos:

Gaudí’s Sagrada Família To Be Completed in 2026 or 2028, Maybe

Since construction began over 125 years ago, the Sagrada Família has stood in various stages of incompletion. But, according to The Guardian, Gaudí’s sprawling basilica has finally received an “official” completion date–sometime between 2026 and 2028. That timetable is scheduled around the centenary of the architect’s death, in 1926, when he was struck by a moving tram. At the time of his death, Gaudí had been living in the church crypt, amid a menagerie of large-scale models and plaster mock-ups.

Over the ensuing 85 years, the construction site has experienced numerous setbacks, including everything from lack of funds to the debate surrounding completing a design which its architect had not fully resolved. Most recently, after the central nave was completed last year and the church was consecrated by Pope Benedict XVI in November, the basilica’s sacristy was heavily damaged when a man set fire to it in April. Despite such incidents, Joan Rigol, president of the committee overseeing the Sagrada Família’s construction, is generally optimistic of adhering to the 2026 completion date–give or take a couple of years–saying that priority has been given to building the church’s 6 central towers (it remains unknown whether the remaining 4 of the church’s total 18 towers will also be concurrently constructed). The tallest of these towers will rise 558 feet and will mark the city’s highest point, with the surrounding towers hovering 200 feet below.

(via thepowerofart)