Sagrada Família: Still Under Construction After 140 Years

Antoni Gaudí took over the design of the Sagrada Família in 1883, worked on it for 43 years, and was killed by a tram in 1926 when the building was perhaps 25% complete. He is buried in the crypt below. Work has continued since, guided by his models and drawings, many of which were destroyed during the Spanish Civil War and have been partly reconstructed from photographs and scale models. The current completion target is around 2033, which is the centenary of Gaudí’s death. When finished, the building will have 18 towers; 12 are currently standing.

Construction has been funded entirely by ticket sales and donations, with no state or church subsidy. The €26-30 admission fee goes directly toward finishing the building you’re standing inside. This is worth knowing because it changes the nature of what a visit feels like.

The Architecture

The structure is Gothic in its load-bearing logic but organic in its forms: hyperboloid vaults, columns that branch at their tops like a forest canopy, natural light filtered through the stone at multiple angles. The effect on a clear morning, amber and gold light filtering through the branching stone interior, is one of the more unusual architectural experiences available anywhere.

The Nativity Façade (east side) is the one Gaudí supervised directly: stone carved to look like living organisms, caves, waterfalls. The Passion Façade (west side) was completed in the 1980s-90s by sculptor Josep Maria Subirachs in a deliberately stark angular style. The difference between the two is jarring and entirely intentional. The Glory Façade (south) is still under construction.

Visiting

Tickets are currently €26 standard entry; tower access by elevator costs more and sells out. Book online at sagradafamilia.org with a specific time slot, last-minute tickets are available for early morning slots but summer weekends book up. Come before 11am on weekdays if possible; the interior is less crowded and the morning light is at its best.

The Neighbourhood

The Sagrada Família is in the Eixample, Barcelona’s 19th-century grid expansion. The streets are wide, the blocks are octagonal (Ildefons Cerdà’s chamfered corners were required so trams could turn), and the architecture is rich in modernisme buildings beyond Gaudí’s work. Casa Milà (La Pedrera) on Passeig de Gràcia, 15 minutes southwest by foot, is the better architectural experience compared to Casa Batlló if you only choose one; the rooftop terrace alone is worth the entry.

The immediate vicinity of the Sagrada Família has tourist restaurants at tourist prices. Walk 10 minutes north into the Gràcia neighbourhood for better food at lower prices: Bar Ra on Plaça de la Virreina is consistently good for lunch.

Getting There

Metro Line 2 (purple) or Line 5 (blue) to Sagrada Família, five minutes from Passeig de Gràcia. The walk from the Gothic Quarter takes 30-35 minutes through the Eixample grid and gives you a sense of how the planned city actually works.