Construction of six new immense towers to Barcelona’s La Sagrada Familia Basilica is under way, the Associated Press reports, closing off the last phase of architect Antoni Gaudi’s ambitious vision of a church that has taken more than a century to complete.
Chief architect Jordi Fauli told the press earlier this month that the central “Tower of Jesus Christ” will be the tallest of the six, and will earn the whole basilica the title of Europe’s tallest religious building. The current holder of that title is Ulm Minster in Germany. St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City will still hold the record for the tallest interior.
"The central tower of 172.5 meters (566 feet) will make it the tallest cathedral in Europe, because the tallest tower in Europe is Ulm, at 162 meters (531.5 feet)," Fauli told the press.
Completion is projected for 2026, in time for the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s death.
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