THE SAGRADA FAMILIA - A Symbol of Humility and Perseverance

enmendoza4
Aug 11, 2022
2 min read

Updated: Oct 15, 2022

"Built as an atonement for the city's sins...it will be the world's most beautiful apology." - Barcelona: A Love Untold, directed by Olivia Lamasan (Star Cinema, 2016), https://www.netflix.com/watch/80145621.

Easily one of the most iconic structures in world history, Basílica De La Sagrada Familia has yet to be completed since the first foundational stone was placed 140 years ago. At the time of writing this piece, the Sagrada Familia is set to be completed in 2026.

Low angle shot of Sagrada Familia. Photographed by Ashim D'Silva — Sagrada Familia | Photo by Ashim D’Silva on Unsplash

"Promoted by the people for the people", the Basílica became a symbol of humility and perseverance. Five generations, since 1882, have watched on as the Temple progressed. Antonio Gaudi, its principal architect, envisioned this temple as the "church of the future". He'd be right because only in the future will it be finished.

Gaudi, already a well-established architect in his time, was deeply dedicated and exclusively worked on the Temple until he died in 1926. It was reported that Gaudi knew from the beginning that he would not live to see its completion. Thus, his plans were written in a way future architects would easily pick up where he last left off.

The implications for the surrounding environments and the people it impacts is a point of critique for the Basílica.

The tourism industry in Catalonia has undoubtedly benefited from the curiosity around the Basílica. On the contrary, the lengthy construction would have had a significant widespread impact on things such as:

the regular flow of vehicular traffic
on foot traffic
the site's surrounding environments - wind paths and botanic ecosystems
day-to-day human interactions

I selected this symbol not only for its cultural significance and global popularity but also for its faithful connotations, a point of particular interest for me.