See you soon! Gaudí's pinnacle, the world's most famous "rotten tail building" cap

What is your first impression of the Sagrada Familia? This century-old building, which was listed as a World Heritage Site before it was completed, has always been a symbol of Spain and the pinnacle of the architectural genius Gaudí.

On December 8, 2021, the Sagrada Familia held a lighting ceremony, and the "Star of Bethlehem" at the top of the Santa Maria Tower was finally lit up, shining over Barcelona, Spain.

At 138 meters high, this Tower of the Virgin Mary is the second tallest tower in the Sagrada Familia, after the 172.5-meter-high Tower of Jesus. Its capping makes the full completion of the Sagrada Familia just around the corner.

The Sagrada Familia, which has been through many vicissitudes

Construction of the Sagrada Familia began in 1882 and spanned three centuries, spanning two world wars, several revolutions and dynastic changes.

From the initial birth disputes, to the questionable design schemes, facing a depleted financial crisis, constantly changing design intentions, and the resulting sky-high fines, this spiritual temple is full of endless ups and downs and tribulations.

The Sagrada Familia was built after a cholera outbreak in Barcelona in 1865, and the Religious Association decided to build a new church of atonement.

The church was initially built by the architect Francesc de Paula del Villar, but resigned because the design and construction costs were too high, and the architect disagreed with the religious community.

Later the Sagrada Familia was taken over by the architectural genius Gaudí. This great work of art not only spans three centuries itself, but also spans most of Gaudí's architectural life.

Antoni Gaudi, 1852-1926

Since Gaudí took over the construction of the Sagrada Familia, it can be said that he spent his life on the design and construction of the church.

In the 1890s, the floor plan of the Sagrada Familia was initially determined, and in order to make the Sagrada Familia more concise and slender, Gaudí made a bold modification:

The demolition of the buttresses and flying buttresses commonly used in Gothic churches to prevent the nave from collapsing was replaced by a staircase inside the church, which greatly accentuated the overall vertical impression while being able to enlarge the internal structure of the Sagrada Familia.

In the process of building the Sagrada Familia, Gaudí wanted to fuse all the elements that belonged to him and present them in a way that conformed to religious themes. Gaudí chose to focus first on the construction of the "Birth Façade".

In 1925, the first St. Barnabas 's " Birth Façade " was topped out.

Gaudí knew that the Sagrada Familia could not be completed in his lifetime, so he left many 1:10 and 1:25 models in his later years, as well as geometric design drawings, materials and design drafts, so that subsequent architects could understand his designs.

Unfortunately, these precious materials were burned during the Spanish Civil War, and the works were stalled by the war.

In the architectural studio in the crypt of the Sagrada Familia in 1939, generations of architects sought to understand the Sagrada Familia in gaudí's mind from these surviving manuscripts, sketches and sculptures.

They pieced together gaudí's broken models, studied old photographs and old materials, and fumbled to deduce Gaudí's design at that time, until 1952, when they got the rough blueprint and began the construction of the Sagrada Familia again.

In 1954, the construction of the "Crucifixion" officially began, and Spain decided to hire the famous sculptor Subillac to continue Gaudí's last wishes and complete the carving of the "Crucifixion Façade" of the Sagrada Familia.

Since then, Subillac's sculptures have been able to interact with Gaudí's architecture, and in the long river of art and time, they have constantly inspired the world's shock and touch.

In the course of a hundred years of construction, generations of architects, engineers, engravers, and restorers have not only made up for Gaudí's unfinished regrets, but also believe that the possibilities contained in Gaudí's works will be seen by more people in the future.

Jordi Fauli, the current chief architect of the Sagrada Familia, said: "For me, this job is 'love' and 'responsibility'. Gaudí left behind clues to documents, sketches, designs and models, and our job was to study how to use these clues and sketches to build models to complete the construction of the church and the pursuit of Gaudí's legend. ”

According to the original construction plan, the Sagrada Familia was supposed to be fully completed on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Gaudí's death in 2026.

But now the epidemic situation is still grim, except for the Tower of the Virgin Mary, the tower of the Tower of Jesus and the tower of the four Gospel Apostles, which have been built together, have all stopped working. But we will still respond with the fervent expectation that more morning stars will be lit.

Gaudí's stunning architecture

Gaudí, the most outstanding architect in Spanish history, was born into a family of blacksmiths in the Spanish town of Reus. The farm life of his childhood made him passionate about observing the form of nature and perceiving the pulse of life since he was a child.

Gaudí's works can hardly find straight lines, and most of them use objects full of curves and organic forms to form a building. He uses dynamic lines and flowing colors to turn into reality those dreams that have been beating in the hearts of human beings that are always beating but vague and cannot overflow.

Just as Tim Burton created fairy tales in the world of movies, Gaudí built dreams in reality.

Park Güell

Here in Park Güell, Gaudí succeeds in organically combining nature and architecture into a perfect whole. Everything here—small bridges, roads, and benches inlaid with colored porcelain pieces—meanders and seems to float and flow, constituting a poetic mood.

According to the architect's intentions, it will become the central square where future residents can rest, with colonnades, but none of the pillars are straight, like tree trunks in a natural forest.

You may have seen the photos of Park Güell countless times, but when you really walk into it, you can be moved and amazed: this seems to be Gaudí's play space, where he allows his imagination to fly and realize it with the professionalism of an architect.

Batllo apartments

The Batlló Apartments are known for their bizarre shapes and are one of the classics in the history of architectural design. Gaudí used his most wild imagination in this apartment, not only the architecture and interior decoration, but also to make the whole building integrated, even some furniture items and design-filled floor numbers were completed by Gaudí himself.

The entrance to Batllo's apartment and the walls of the second floor below are deliberately imitated by lava and caves, the balcony railings on the upper floors are made of masks for masquerades, the roof ridges are like scaly animal backs, and the minarets and other protruding objects on the roof have their own strange shapes, and the surface is covered with colorful pieces of broken porcelain.

The façade of Batllo's apartment is decorated entirely in blue and green ceramics, which has amazed the master painter Dalí.

Inside Casa Batlló, the color of the tiles gradually changed from light blue to dark blue, and the water-patterned glass on the side of the staircase reflected the blue of the walls, making the house look like it was in the sea.

Casa Mila

On The Via Gràcia in Barcelona is home to a world-famous purely modern building, The Casa Milà. Barcelonans often refer to it as "stone house" or "quarry", two nicknames that were given to people who could not understand Gaudí's creativity.

The building began in 1906 and was the last private building designed by Gaudí, a building that uses curves to the extreme.

The roof of The Mira Apartments is staggered, the walls are uneven, and the curves of the winding and undulating curves can be seen everywhere, and the whole building is like a rough sea, full of dynamics.

All of The Design and Materials used by Casa Milà, even today, are scientifically avant-garde and practical. Gaudí is said to have said to Mira: "The peculiar shape of this house will echo the diverse mountains around Barcelona." ”

Apparently, he had done it: standing on the roof of this building, it was as if you could hear the singing of Casa Milà and the mountains.

Of Gaudí's works in his lifetime, 17 have been listed as national cultural relics by Spain and 7 by UNESCO as World Heritage Sites.

These buildings span a hundred years, and from them you can feel Gaudí's poetic, fantasistic, mythological and peculiar ideas. It is with Gaudí that Barcelona has the colorful and dynamic vitality.

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